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Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Publish Ahead of Print

DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001812

Delayed effects of a low volume, power-type resistance exercise session on explosive

performance

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Athanasios Tsoukos1*, Panagiotis Veligekas1, Lee E. Brown2, Gerasimos Terzis1, Gregory C.

Bogdanis1
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Athletics Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, National &
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Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
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Department of Kinesiology, Human Performance Laboratory, California State University,
Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA
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Running Head: Delayed effects of a bout of low-volume power training

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* Corresponding author: Athanasios Tsoukos, MSc

Postal: School of P.E. and Sports Science,

41 Ethnikis Antistasis Str. Dafne, 172 37

Athens, GREECE

Phone number: +30210 7276115

Email: atsoukos@phed.uoa.gr

Copyright ª 2017 National Strength and Conditioning Association

ABSTRACT

This study examined the delayed effects of a power type training session on explosive

performance. Seventeen well-trained male power and team sport athletes (age: 22.7±5.5 y,

height: 181±8 cm, body mass: 80.7±8.6 kg, body fat: 9.2±1.7 %, 1-RM half-squat: 163±29 kg)

performed four sessions (2 experimental and 2 control) one week apart in a randomized and

counterbalanced order. Explosive performance was assessed before, 24 and 48 h following a

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low-volume, power-type training session (5 x 4 jump squats at 40% 1RM with 3 min rest), as

well as before and after 24 and 48 h of rest (control). Dependent variables were:

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countermovement jump (CMJ), reactive strength index (RSI) during a drop jump, leg press

maximum isometric force and rate of force development (RFD) at three time windows: 0-100,

0-200 and 0-300 ms. ANOVA revealed no changes in the control conditions. In contrast
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following training, CMJ was improved by 5.1 ± 1.0% and 3.0 ± 1.0% at 24 and 48 h,

respectively, compared to baseline. RSI improved by 10.7 ± 2.1% only at 24 h. RFD increased

at all time-windows at 24 h (range of improvement: 9.7±3.4% to 18.3±4.1%, p<0.01). However,

at 48 h, improvement was only seen in RFD0-100 (9.8±3.1%, p<0.01). These findings suggest
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that a low-volume, power-type training session results in delayed enhancement of explosive

muscle performance, which is greatest at 24 h after the activity. Athletes are advised to perform
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power type training 1 day before competition or a high quality training session to improve their

performances.
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Key words: recovery; power athletes; rate of force development; drop jump; jump squat;

reactive strength index

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INTRODUCTION

Several sport coaching textbooks and limited research suggests that a resistance

training (RT) session, performed 24-48 h before competition or a high quality training session,

may enhance athletic performance (32,35). However, despite its widespread use among athletes,

there is limited evidence regarding the effects of a RT session on subsequent explosive muscle

performance (19,23). One primary factor influencing the effects of a RT session on performance

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is muscular fatigue and damage that may persist for 1 hour to 7 days (24,27,28,36). A recent

study compared the influence of volume and effort on neuromuscular performance, hormonal

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responses and heart rate variability, up to 48 h following RT (20). They observed that a protocol

of 3 sets of 8 repetitions of squat and bench press at 80% 1 repetition maximum (1RM), resulted

in greater neuromuscular fatigue persisting for 48 h than a lower volume protocol of 3 sets of 4
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repetitions at 80% 1RM which resulted in faster recovery of performance (within 6 h).

The effects of intensity on recovery of neuromuscular performance following RT

were examined by Linnamo et al. (28) involving two protocols of either 5 knee extension sets x

10 repetitions with 2 min rest, or a higher (10RM) and a lower load (40% of 10RM), performed
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as explosively as possible. Peak force recovered 2 hours after the explosive protocol with the

lower intensity, while recovery was longer (2 days) after the heavier protocol. However,
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explosive strength was equally decreased after the two protocols. Therefore, the available

evidence suggests that both RT volume and intensity are important variables and a low-volume
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protocol may be more advantageous for a faster performance recovery. Interestingly, the

findings of a study where RT volumes were equated (30) showed that hypertrophy (4 sets of 10

repetitions in the squat at 75% of 1RM) and maximal strength (11 sets of three repetitions at

90% of 1RM) RT protocols resulted in significant decreases in peak force and rate of force

development (RFD) in the first 200 ms during an isometric squat, that persisted for 1-24 h. In

contrast, following power type RT (8 sets of 6 repetitions of unloaded jump squats) there was a

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non-significant trend of peak force to be higher than a control condition from 60 min to 48 h

later. Notably, a similar non-significant trend (p=0.07) was observed in a study by Badillo et al

(20), where mean barbell propulsive velocity in the bench press was 4.9% greater than baseline

48 h after 3 sets of 4 repetitions at 80% 1RM. Accordingly, it may be hypothesized that a low-

volume RT session may not only result in faster recovery, but also a short-term super-

compensation of explosive strength performance (5,31,33). From a practical point of view, the

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results of the present study will provide information to support the common practice of

performing a short RT exercise session or a high quality training session 1 or 2 days before

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competition in well-trained athletes. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate

whether a low-volume, power type RT session enhances neuromuscular performance of the legs

in the following 24 to 48 h
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METHODS

Experimental Approach to the Problem

A repeated measures design with a randomized and a counterbalanced order was used
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to investigate the short term effects of a low-volume, power type RT session on explosive

neuromuscular performance 24 and 48 h later. It was hypothesized that a low volume power
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type RT session would increase explosive performance 24 and 48 h later. To examine this

hypothesis, subjects performed four different sessions (2 experimental and 2 control) one week
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apart. In the experimental conditions, subjects performed a low-volume conditioning, power-

type RT session, while in the control conditions subjects rested. The following dependent

variables were assessed 24 and 48 h following the experimental and control conditions:

countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, reactive strength index (RSI) from a drop jump,

maximum leg press isometric force and rate of force development (RFD) at three time

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windows: 0-100, 0-200 and 0-300 ms. A schematic representation of the study is shown in

Figure 1.

Subjects

Seventeen national level male power and team sport athletes volunteered to

participate in the study (age: 22.7±5.5 y [range: 18.4 y to 32.8 y], height: 181±8 cm, body mass:

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80.7±8.6 kg, body fat: 9.2±1.7 %, 1RM half-squat: 163±29 kg). Subjects had a sport training

background of 10.0±4.9 years, resistance training experience of 6.4±3.9 years, and took part in

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6 to 8 training sessions per week. All athletes were free of musculoskeletal injuries for at least 1

year prior to the study and none were taking any drugs or nutritional supplements. Each

participant gave written informed consent, after a thorough explanation of the study. The local
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Institutional Review Board (School of Physical Education and Sports Science, National &

Kapodistrian University of Athens) approved the experimental procedures which were in

accordance with the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Helsinki declaration of

1964, as revised in 2013).

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Procedures

The study took place in the off-season during the months June and July. A
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standardized training program consisting of 4 weekly microcycles was followed by all subjects

to ensure control of training load and minimize interference of training and rest with the study
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outcomes. Measurements took place at the end of each microcycle following the experimental

or control interventions. Athletes were also instructed to replicate their dietary intake 48 hours

before each session and arrive fully hydrated.

Before each familiarization, preliminary and experimental trial, subjects performed a

standardized warm-up, consisting of 5 minutes of light cycling against a standard resistance (60

watt) and 5 minutes of dynamic stretching of the lower limb muscles used in jumping

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(gastrocnemius, gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip extensors) as described elsewhere

(39,40).

Familiarization and preliminary measurements

On the first two visits, athletes were familiarized with isometric leg press for the

evaluation of maximal force and rate of force development in order to maximize reliability (29).

Subjects were also familiarized with drop jumping (DJ) from 20, 40, 60 and 80 cm heights and

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with countermovement jumping (CMJ).

On the first preliminary visit, CMJ performance was measured. These data served as

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baseline values in order to ensure maximal effort from the athletes during the main trials. Five

minutes after the CMJ, maximal half-squat strength (1RM) was measured. In the second

preliminary visit, DJ was measured from four different heights (20, 40, 60 and 80 cm), in order
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to determine the optimum drop height that each participant would use for the main trials. The

optimum drop height was defined as that which had the greatest reactive strength index (RSI).

The RSI was calculated by the following formula:

RSI (m.s-1) = maximal DJ height x ground contact time-1

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This approach was chosen on the basis of the available literature, stressing the

importance of identifying the individualized optimum drop height for maximizing

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neuromuscular adaptations (9). The average optimum drop height was 29.4±16.0 cm.
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1RM half-squat

Half-squat strength (knee angle 90o) was determined according to the procedures

outlined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (22). Maximum strength of the

lower limbs was measured using a knee angle of 90o, as half-squat strength is highly correlated

with sprint and jump performance (43). The determination of 1RM was carried out using a

standard Olympic bar and weight plates (Eleiko, Halmstad, Sweden) in a squat rack. The

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intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the half squat 1RM measurement was 0.98 (95%CI:

0.968-0.993, p<0.01) as previously described (6). Subjects started the downward (eccentric)

movement of the half-squat exercise and were stopped at the desired knee angle by a “beep”

sound which was activated when a photocell beam was interrupted by the posterior portion of

the thigh when knee angle was 90o. Knee angle was measured at the lowest point of the

movement of the half-squat by using a high speed digital camera (Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1) at

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60 frames per second and verified by the Kinovea Video Analysis Software (v. 0.8.15). Markers

were attached to the lateral malleolus, femoral epicondyle, and greater trochanter of the right

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leg (full extension=180o). The ICC for knee angle measurement during dynamic half-squat was

0.95 (95%CI: 0.940-0.962).

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Measurement of CMJ performance

CMJ performance was measured on a force plate (Applied measurements Ltd,

Reading, UK) with a sampling frequency of 1 kHz by measuring flight time:

CMJ height = ½ g.t2

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where g= 9.81 m.s-2, t= flight time

Participants were asked to jump as high as possible with their hands akimbo
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throughout the entire jump, while maintaining the same body position during the take-off and

landing. Subjects performed three CMJ with 45 s of rest. The ICC for the CMJ assessment was
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0.99 (95%CI: 0.987-0.998, p<0.01).

Measurement of DJ performance

DJ was performed on the same force plate by measuring flight time and ground

contact time. Participants were asked to step off a wooden box at a set height without lifting

their center of gravity (3) and land on the force plate with both legs. After contact, they

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rebounded and immediately jumped as high as possible while trying to minimize ground contact

time (41). As in the CMJ, hands were kept akimbo throughout the entire jump and a straight

body position during landing and take-off were encouraged. Subjects performed three DJ with

45 s of rest (3). The ICC for DJ assessment was: DJ height: ICC=0.95 (95%CI: 0.887-0.980,

p<0.01), DJ contact time: ICC=0.96 (95%CI: 0.899-0.982, p<0.01), DJ RSI: ICC=0.99 (95%CI:

0.977-0.996, p<0.01).

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Measurement of maximum isometric force and rate of force development

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Maximum isometric force and rate of force development were measured with the

same force plate placed (Applied measurements Ltd, Reading, UK), mounted on a concrete wall

in front of a custom-made, rigid steel leg press chair, with the seat back set at a 106o angle with
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the horizontal being level. Subjects wore Olympic weightlifting shoes. Their torso angle relative

to the ground was 112±3°, hip angle (between the thigh and the torso) was 60± 5° and knee

angle was 98± 7o (180o = full knee extension). We chose a knee angle of ~90-100o, that was

similar to the knee angle used during the conditioning jump squat exercise. Participants were
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instructed to push with both legs “as fast and hard as possible” (29) for 4 s and avoid any

counter movement. Two maximum trials were performed with 2 min recovery. To maximize
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reliability of force measurements, a sampling frequency of 1000 Hz was used (21). A low pass

Butterworth digital filter with a cut-off frequency of 25 Hz was used for smoothing the raw
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data. Maximum isometric force was calculated as the highest 100ms average of the force-time

curve. RFD was calculated at specific time windows of 0-100, 0-200 and 0-300 ms (RFD0-100,

RFD0-200 and RFD0-300) as the slope of the force-time curve over each time window (1,26,44).

ICC for maximal isometric peak force was 0.97 (95%CI: 0.941-0.989, p<0.01), while for RFD0-

100, RFD0-200 and RFD0-300, ICC was 0.93 (95%CI: 0.858-0.970) 0.97 (95%CI: 0.938-0.986) and

0.96 (95%CI: 0.928-0.985), respectively (p<0.01).

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 Experimental Trials

Explosive performance was measured in two trials. Five minutes after the

standardized warm-up, three CMJ separated by 45 s rest were performed and the best trial was

used as the baseline value. Six minutes later, participants performed three DJ from their

individual optimal drop height with 45 s rest between jumps, and the best RSI was used as a

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baseline value. Subjects rested for 8 minutes then maximum isometric force and rate of force

development in the leg press were measured. Each subject performed two trials with 1 min rest

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and the best trial was used as a baseline value. After this they rested for 10 minutes then

performed a specific warm-up routine consisting of one set of 6 and one set of 4 jump squats

with a resistance equal to 15 and 30% of 1RM, respectively, with 3 minutes rest. Following 3
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more min rest, participants performed the conditioning exercise, which included 5 sets of 4

jump squats with a resistance equal to 40% of 1RM, with 3 minute rest intervals. Subjects were

instructed to perform the jump squat with a countermovement to a knee angle of 90-100o. The

mean load of the 40% 1 RM of the squat exercise for the participants was 65.3 ± 11.5 kg. In the
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24 h condition, subjects’ explosive performance was measured 24 h after the intervention

whereas in the 48 h condition, explosive performance was measured 48 h after the intervention.
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In the two control trials, explosive performance was measured 24 and 48 h after baseline

measurements, without performing the conditioning exercise. All explosive performance

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measurements were made at the same time of day between 16:00 and 19:00 hours, to avoid

diurnal variation.

Statistical analyses

Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23).

Multiple two-way (4 conditions x 2 time-points) repeated measures analysis of variance

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(ANOVA) were used to examine differences in CMJ performance, RSI, maximal isometric

peak force and RFD0-100, RFD0-200 and RFD0-300. Tukey’s post–hoc test was performed when a

significant main effect or interaction was observed (p<0.05). Effect sizes were estimated by

calculating the partial eta squared (η2) values (small: 0.01 to 0.059, moderate: 0.06 to 0.137,

large >0.138). For pairwise comparisons, effect size was determined by Cohen’s d (small: >0.2,

medium: >0.5, large: >0.8). Test-retest reliability for all dependent variables was performed by

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calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) using a two-way mixed model ANOVA.

Data are presented as mean±standard deviation and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

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Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

RESULTS
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CMJ Performance

CMJ at baseline was not different between the 4 trials (42.3 ± 3.9, 41.8 ± 4.4, 41.3 ±

4.3 and 42.3 ± 4.1 cm, p=0.65, for the two control and two experimental trials, respectively).

The 2-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction (p=0.0002, η2=0.34). Post hoc
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comparisons showed that CMJ in the 24 h condition was greater than baseline by 5.1±1.0%

(+2.1 cm, 95%CI: 1.3-3.0 cm, p=0.0001, d=0.48), as well as in the 48 h condition by 3.0±0.7%
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% (+1.2 cm, 95%CI: 0.6-1.8 cm, p=0.02, d=0.31) while there was no difference in CMJ height

in either of the control trials (Fig. 2).

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RSI

A significant interaction was found for RSI (p=0.0004, η2=0.31). Baseline RSI

performance was not different between conditions (1.82 ± 0.40, 1.81 ± 0.46, 1.80 ± 0.42 and

1.86 ± 0.47 m.s-1, p=0.69, for the two control and two experimental trials, respectively). Post

hoc comparisons showed that RSI in the 24 h condition was greater than baseline by 10.7±2.1%

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(+0.18 m·s-1, 95%CI: 0.12-0.24 m·s-1, p=0.0003, d=0.42). RSI scores in the 48 h condition were

not statistically different (+0.09 m·s-1, 95%CI: 0.02-0.16 m·s-1, p=0.23, d=0.20) (Fig. 3).

Maximum Isometric Force and Rate of Force Development

Maximum isometric force and RFD at baseline were not different between the 4 trials

(Table 1). No significant interaction (p=0.25, η2=0.08) or main effects for condition or time

were observed for maximum isometric force. There was a significant interaction for RFD0-100

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(p=0.0006, η2=0.30), RFD0-200 (p=0.017, η2=0.19) and RFD0-300 (p=0.015, η2=0.19). Post hoc

comparisons revealed that time window RFD values in the 24 h condition were significantly

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greater than baseline (Fig. 4) by 18.3±4.1% for RFD0-100 (+1771 N·s-1, 95%CI: 1027-2515 N·s-1,

p=0.0001, d=0.72), by 10.2±3.3% for RFD0-200 (+754 N·s-1, 95%CI: 273-1236 N·s-1, p=0.0002,

d=0.30) and by 9.7±3.4% for RFD0-300 (+536 N·s-1, 95%CI: 178.6-893.1 N·s-1, p=0.0004,
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d=0.41). In the 48 h condition, only RFD0-100 was greater than baseline by 9.8 ± 3.1% (95%CI:

296.7-1567.1 N·s-1, p=0.021, d=0.33).

DISCUSSION
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The main findings of the present study were that CMJ increased by 3% to 5% at both

24 and 48 h after a low-volume power type RT session while RSI and RFD showed greater
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improvements after 24 h compared with 48 h and peak force remained unchanged across

conditions. Additionally, greater improvements in explosive performance were observed after

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24 h for RFD0-100, and for drop jump RSI.

This study showed that a low-volume, power type RT session results in moderate to

large improvements in explosive neuromuscular performance 1 and 2 days later. This may be

explained by the absence of fatigue and thus a facilitation or delayed enhancement of explosive

performance, similar to a short-term taper. The limited number of studies examining recovery of

neuromuscular performance after a session of RT have shown that there may be an increase in

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explosive performance in the following 6-48 h when fatigue is minimized (10,12,18,20,30,35).

For example, a short morning RT session resulted in a small to moderate (1.3-2.7%)

improvement in explosive muscle performance 6 hours later (12,18). Raastad et al (35)

examined neuromuscular fatigue and recovery after a high and a moderate load of RT. The high

load protocol consisted of 3 sets of 3 repetitions at 100% of 3 RM in the back and front squats

and 3 sets of 6 repetitions at 100% of 6 RM in knee extensions whereas the moderate protocol

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load was 70% of the high load protocol. Squat jump height was reduced by 12 % (p<0.01) 15

minutes after the high load protocol and performance remained reduced 22 hours after. In

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contrast, after the moderate strength exercise protocol, jump height did not change 15 minutes

after and it was 5% higher compared with baseline at 22 to 33 hours, which is similar to the

~5% improvement observed in the present study.

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Another possible explanation for improvement in explosive neuromuscular

performance but not maximum force may be related to velocity specificity. Behm and Sale (4)

concluded that RT at a specific speed exhibits optimal gains at similar testing speeds with

decreasing improvements as the testing speed deviates further from the training speed. In the
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present study, velocity of the ballistic activity (jump squats) was close to the explosive testing

movements of CMJ and DJ, thus velocity specificity may explain our findings. It is also
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possible that neural mechanisms explain the improvement in explosive neuromuscular

performance as the preprogrammed nature of ballistic movements (jump squats) have high
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firing frequency which is considered the most likely mechanism of velocity specificity (4).

Furthermore, Crewther et al (14) reviewed the literature and concluded that ballistic movements

do not have an effect on maximal force and the improvement is limited to power output

according to kinetic and or kinematic specificity (17,34). Specificity might also be responsible

for the delayed effect in drop jump performance as expressed by the reactive strength index

(RSI). Byrne and Eston (2002) examined the effect of an exercise-induced muscle damage

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protocol (10 sets of 10 repetitions of barbell squats at 70% body mass) on different types of

vertical jump performance (squat jump, countermovement jump and drop jump) across 7 days.

They found that impairment of muscle function was attenuated when the stretch-shortening

cycle was used as in countermovement and drop jumps. This might explain CMJ and DJ

enhanced performance in the present study. In addition, ballistic movements appear to induce

greater muscle activation and have a specific effect on muscles because of their specific training

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adaptations (kinetic and kinematic) (17,34). Newton (34) found greater muscle activation after

ballistic movements compared with non-ballistic during the concentric phase (bench press

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throws vs. bench press). The barbell was accelerated for 96% of the ballistic movement

compared with 60% of the non-ballistic movements and the muscles produced tension for 430

ms in the ballistic compared to 370 ms in the non-ballistic condition. Thus a ballistic movement
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produced 70% greater average power output and 19-44% greater muscle activation. These

findings demonstrate that the jump squats used in the present study may have induced greater

activation of the agonists according to the principle of specificity.

An additional explanation for the improvement of explosive neuromuscular

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performance could be an increase in mechanical stiffness. Mechanical stiffness is termed as leg,

joint or vertical stiffness and has been defined as the resistance of the body segment, joint or
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series of joints to changes in length (8). It has been shown to increase immediately after a RT

session and/or after a short term period of strength or power training. Comyns et al (11)
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observed an increase of 10.9% in leg stiffness 4 minutes after 1 set of 93% of a 1RM back

squat. Furthermore, Cornu and Goubel (13) found that 7 weeks of plyometric training increased

passive musculoarticular stiffness by 58.4%. In addition, Toumi et al (38) reported that a

combination of strength and plyometric training for 6 weeks improved knee joint stiffness by

8.2% and CMJ performance by 13.2%. Mechanical stiffness has also been correlated with

vertical jump height and isometric rate of torque development (7) which are the same

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measurements used in the present study. From the previous studies, we can hypothesize that the

protocol used in our study possibly increased mechanical stiffness of the lower limbs

A parameter that may have caused neuromuscular enhancement in our study is that

the subjects may have had a positive testosterone response after the power type RT.

Testosterone is widely known to have a positive correlation with athletic performance (16).

There are studies showing that the testosterone response is negligible as the result of power type

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RT (30). McCaulley et al (30) reported an absence of a testosterone response after power type

RT. However, the jump squats used in that study were unloaded (8 sets of 6 repetitions). In

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contrast, our study had participants perform 5 sets of 4 repetitions at 40% 1RM. There is

evidence showing that dynamic power schemes of RT produce significant androgen responses

with loads between 30-50% of 1RM which is similar to the load used in our study (15,42). For
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example, Volek et al (42) examined the effect of power type RT using a jump squat protocol (5

sets of 10 repetitions at 30% of 1RM) and a hypertrophy protocol in the bench press exercise (5

sets of 10 repetitions to failure using a 10 RM load) on blood testosterone concentration. They

found that testosterone increased 15.1% after the jump squat protocol compared with pre-
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exercise values but only 7.4% after the hypertrophy protocol. In addition, steroid hormones like

testosterone have been termed neuroactive as they can be synthesized in the brain
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(hippocampus) and induce neural excitability by modulating the activity of neurotransmitter

receptors and ion channels (2,25,37). Thus it could be hypothesized that a neural mechanism
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was realized after the intervention due to an increase in testosterone.

The increased neuromuscular performance may also be related to parasympathetic

nervous activity, as measured by heart rate variability (HRV). Recent investigations have shown

that HRV measurements can be a useful tool for monitoring the recovery status of weightlifting

athletes (10). Chen et al (10) examined weightlifting performance, HRV and parasympathetic

activity from 3 to 72 hours after a 2 hour weightlifting session. They found that weightlifting

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performance recovered after 24 h and increased above baseline at 48 to 72 hours. They also

observed that high frequency HRV, which reflects parasympathetic nervous activity, followed

the same recovery course as weightlifting performance with a significant decrease from 3 to 24

hours after the session and a significant increase 72 hours after. They concluded that

parasympathetic activity mirrored recovery status in weightlifting performance following

training.

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In conclusion, 5 sets of 4 repetitions of jump squats with 3 minutes rest improved

neuromuscular performance 24 h later. This delayed enhancement was maintained up to 48h but

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to a lesser degree. Future studies should focus on the interaction between RT load and volume

and attempt to incorporate different types of RT specific to the special demands of different

sports.
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Practical applications

The findings of the present study have practical applications for trained athletes of all

power based sports. A series of 5 sets of 4 repetitions of ballistic jump squats can be utilized to
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increase explosive performance of the lower limbs 24 as well as 48 hours after a RT session,

with greater enhancement observed after 24 hours. Thus, athletes are advised to perform a low
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volume RT or a high quality training session one day before an important competition to

improve their performance.

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 FIGURE LEGENDS

Figure 1. Schematic representation of the study. GWU: General warm-up. CMJ:

Countermovement jump. DJ Opt: Drop jump from the optimal drop height. LP: Maximum

isometric force and RFD measurement in the leg press exercise. SMU: Specific warm-up. M:

Measurements (repeated 24 and 48 h after training)

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Figure 2. Time course of changes in countermovement jump (CMJ) performance.

Values are expressed as percent changes compared to baseline.

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* and †: p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively from the corresponding baseline value; #:

p<0.01 between experimental and control in the 24 h condition; ‡: p<0.05 between

experimental and control in the 48 h condition.

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Figure 3. Time course of changes in Reactive Strength Index (RSI). Values are

expressed as percent changes compared to baseline.

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†: p<0.01 significant increase from the corresponding baseline value; #: p<0.01

between experimental and control in the 24 h condition.

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Figure 4. Time course of changes in Rate of Force Development (RFD), 0-100, 0-

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200 and 0-300 ms. Values are expressed as percent changes compared to baseline.

* and †: p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively from the corresponding baseline value; #:

p<0.01 between experimental and control in the 24 h condition

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 1

Table 1. Baseline values of maximum isometric force (MIF), and rate of force development

(RFD), 0-100, 0-200 and 0-300 ms after the onset of muscle contraction in the two control

conditions and following 24 h and 48 h after the resistance training session. Data are mean ±

standard deviation (n=17).

CONTROL CONTROL
24 h 48 h Significance

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24 h 48 h

MIF (N) 2655 ± 610 2682 ± 592 2649 ± 594 2704 ± 634 p=0.84

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10667 ±
RFD0-100 (N.s-1) 10811 ± 2305 10439 ± 2378 10912 ± 2580 p=0.63
2107

RFD0-200 (N.s-1) 8030 ±1493 8060 ± 1544 7984 ± 1620 8134 ± 1566 p=0.87

RFD0-300 (N.s-1)
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5978 ±1198 6067 ± 1159 5895 ± 1207 6023 ± 1424 p=0.74
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