•  
  •  
 

UTILIZING POSTACTIVATION POTENTIATION IN A WINGATE TEST

Abstract

UTILIZING POSTACTIVATION POTENTIATION IN A WINGATE TEST

J.L. Wheeler, M.J. Leonetti, C.M. Stahl, K.M. Edinger, C.M. Bishop, P.A. Wamboldt, and D.J. McCann

Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA

Previous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of post activation potentiation (PAP) on jump height and sprint speed. PAP is the short-term enhancement of neuromuscular function in activated muscle fibers following a high-intensity warm-up (WU). However, this phenomenon has yet to be practically applied to high-intensity cycling. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if a high power WU capable of inducing PAP will improve power output during a Wingate test when compared to the normal, moderate intensity WU. METHODS: Eleven subjects participated in one familiarization trial followed by two testing sessions. Each session consisted of a WU protocol, followed by 5 min of rest, before beginning the 30 s Wingate. WU protocols involved stationary cycling employing a constant resistance of 3 % of the subject’s body mass, and included three 5 s cycling sprints occurring at the ends of minutes 2, 3, and 4 using either 3 % or 10 % body mass as resistance. Peak power (PP), average power (AP) and fatigue index (FI) were analyzed using a paired samples t-test. RESULTS: PP during the Wingate was not different between protocols (t=-1.34, p=.21). The 3 % protocol had an average PP of 760±182 W while the 10 % protocol had an average PP of 770±189 W. Negligible differences (t=-.01, p=.99) in AP were detected between the 3 % protocol, which had an AP of 600±102W, and the 10 % protocol, which had an AP of 600±107 W. Additionally, no significant differences (t=-.53, p=.61) were observed in FI between the two protocols, as the 10 % protocol had an average FI of 42.5±7.9 % while the 3 % protocol had an average FI of 43.2±8.5%. The 10 % resistance sprints performed during the WU reached a PP more than double that of the 3 % resistance sprints. CONCLUSION: Given that no significant differences in power output were detected between the WU protocols in this study, either PAP was not achieved through the WU protocols used, or PAP has no effect on PP in high intensity cycling. Further research could be done to observe whether more traditional, isometric PAP inducing WU protocols could increase PP performance in high intensity cycling.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS