Effect of a Single Jump Practice on Vertical Jump Performance

Effect of a Single Jump Practice on Vertical Jump Performance

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the effect of a single jump practice session on vertical jump height. Thirty-two physical educational students aged from 19 to 27 years participated in this study. Methods: This study consisted of a randomized, controlled, and longitudinal design. The participants were divided into two groups; the intervention group (EX, n=16) and the control group (CG, n=16). The EX group performed five vertical jumps from a platform located at their knee height. The CG group was instructed to jump five times as high as possible without a platform. Before and after the jump practice, we determined vertical jump height, vertical ground reaction ground force, and the joint angles of trunk and lower extremity. Results: After the practice sessions, vertical jump height was significantly increased in EX, but was significantly decreased in CG. In EX, the change in vertical jump height was related to changes in the hip joint and trunk inclination angles. In CG, no change was found in the kinematic data. Conclusions: A single jump practice using a platform at one’s knee high transiently improves vertical jump height, and the change is associated with changes in the kinematics of the hip joint and trunk inclination. This implies that the coach or practitioner needs to pay attention to a protocol for familiarization trials and warm up when the vertical jump test is used to assess muscular power.