Effects of Conditioning Activities in Female Athletes

Официальное название

Effect of Conditioning Activities on Neuromuscular Performance in Female Invasion Sports Athletes

Обзор

This study will investigate how different warm-up strategies affect physical performance in female athletes who practice invasion sports (e.g., soccer, handball, and basketball). Participants will complete three different conditions: a standard warm-up only, a warm-up followed by a performance-enhancing activity, and a warm-up followed by a low-intensity activity designed to simulate the same expectations without real physiological effects. After each condition, athletes will perform tests of vertical jump performance and change-of-direction speed. In addition, participants will report their perceived effort, expectations, muscle soreness, and recovery status. The study will include eighteen female athletes and will be conducted under controlled conditions, including standardized hydration, recovery, and environmental factors. The design will allow comparison of the physical and psychological effects of the different warm-up strategies on performance.

Подробное описание

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) refers to the transient improvement in performance following maximal stimuli, attributed to the phosphorylation of the myosin light chain. However, due to its brief and involuntary nature (typically lasting less than 2 minutes, with a half-life of approximately 28 seconds), its practical contribution is limited.

Based on this, other mechanisms such as increased muscle temperature and water content, enhanced motor unit recruitment, and increased neural excitability appear to have greater practical relevance.

Accordingly, the term post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) was proposed to describe performance improvements following maximal or submaximal conditioning activities. Its magnitude may vary according to factors such as sex, strength level, recovery time, training experience, and protocol characteristics.

Despite recent advances, the optimal parameters of conditioning activities to maximize PAPE remain inconclusive, and many studies present methodological limitations, such as lack of randomization, blinding, and familiarization procedures.

Furthermore, there is a need to thoroughly explore the role of participants' expectations, as well as to include placebo or nocebo conditions, as these psychophysiological factors may significantly influence performance outcomes. In this context, assessor blinding is essential to reduce potential bias.

In addition, evidence suggests that women may exhibit a greater PAPE response, although they are underrepresented in the literature, accounting for only a small proportion of studied samples. This may be related to lower fatigability and faster recovery following certain types of muscle actions, which could enhance the response to conditioning activities with less interference from fatigue.

Moreover, evidence regarding the effects of PAPE on change-of-direction performance is still limited. Change-of-direction tasks involve acceleration, deceleration, and rapid directional changes, often in response to dynamic sport-specific demands. Therefore, assessing this ability is essential, as it closely reflects the demands of invasion sports.

There is a lack of studies employing rigorous methodologies that adequately control psychophysiological variables such as expectancy and placebo effects, along with proper blinding of both participants and researchers. Additionally, studies focusing on female athletes remain scarce.

Therefore, this study aims to address these gaps using a randomized crossover experimental design with three conditions: a "real" conditioning activity (standardized warm-up followed by drop jumps), a SHAM condition (standardized warm-up followed by low-intensity exercise at 20% of one-repetition maximum with verbal suggestion and simulated occlusion), and a control condition (standardized warm-up only). The study will compare the effects of these conditions on neuromuscular performance and perceptual responses in female athletes.

Вмешательства

• Другое post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) protocol
  This study uses a randomized crossover design in which participants complete three conditions (real conditioning activity, SHAM, and control), reducing inter-individual variability. A key feature is the SHAM condition designed to control for placebo and expectancy effects, combining low-load resistance exercise (20% 1RM), verbal suggestion, and simulated blood flow restriction (15 mmHg), insufficient to induce physiological responses. All conditions are strictly standardized, including a warm-up

Первичные конечные точки

• Countermovement Jump Height [Срок оценки: Baseline (pre-intervention) following each experimental condition within the same session.]

Вторичные конечные точки (2)

• Agility Performance [Срок оценки: Baseline (pre-intervention) and after the countermovement jump assessment (following each experimental condition).]
• Participant Expectation [Срок оценки: Post-intervention (after each condition).]

Критерии участия

Критерии включения

• Female athletes aged 18 to 30 years
• Familiarity with the proposed tests and exercises
• Ability to perform all testing procedures
• Regular participation in invasion team sports (at least two sessions per week) for a minimum of two years

Критерии исключения

• Presence of musculoskeletal injuries that could limit test performance
• Injury occurring during the study period
• Absence for more than seven days between experimental sessions
• Failure to comply with the data collection schedule

Критерии приведены из реестра в оригинале (на английском). Окончательную оценку соответствия проводит исследовательский центр.

Здоровые добровольцы: Да

Дизайн исследования

Распределение

Рандомизированное

Модель

Перекрёстный дизайн

Маскирование

Двойное слепое

Основная цель

Фундаментальное исследование

Центры проведения

Бразилия · 1 центр

• Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro — Uberaba

Публикации

• Ramirez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Izquierdo M. Effects of plyometric training volume and training surface on explosive strength. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Oct;27(10):2714-22. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318280c9e9. PMID 23254550
• Xu K, Blazevich AJ, Boullosa D, Ramirez-Campillo R, Yin M, Zhong Y, Tian Y, Finlay M, Byrne PJ, Cuenca-Fernandez F, Wang R. Optimizing Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Athletic Tasks: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis for Prescription Variables and Research Methods. Sports Med. 2025 Apr;55(4):977-1008. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02170-6. Epub 2025 Jan 24. PMID 39853660
• Seitz LB, de Villarreal ES, Haff GG. The temporal profile of postactivation potentiation is related to strength level. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Mar;28(3):706-15. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182a73ea3. PMID 23965945
• Boullosa D, Beato M, Dello Iacono A, Cuenca-Fernandez F, Doma K, Schumann M, Zagatto AM, Loturco I, Behm DG. A New Taxonomy for Postactivation Potentiation in Sport. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020 Aug 19;15(8):1197-1200. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0350. PMID 32820135
• Blazevich AJ, Babault N. Post-activation Potentiation Versus Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Humans: Historical Perspective, Underlying Mechanisms, and Current Issues. Front Physiol. 2019 Nov 1;10:1359. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01359. eCollection 2019. PMID 31736781

Идентификаторы

NCT: NCT07542119 · 7.572.592/2025

Первоисточники (государственные реестры)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH, США)

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