Acute Post-Activation Potentiation Effects in NCAA Division II Female Athletes

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a phenomenon in which the power output of a muscle is immediately enhanced after heavy resistance exercise. Whereas the majority of PAP research has examined males, minimal research exists as to how female athletes respond. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the acute PAP response of back squats on static squat jump (SSJ) performance among NCAA Division II female athletes. Female athletes (n=29) who were current roster members from basketball, softball, and volleyball, performed 3 SSJ prior to 3 repetitions of the back squat exercise at 90% 1RM. After a 5-min rest, athletes once again performed 3 SSJ for maximal height, with peak power calculated using the Sayers equation. There was a significant interaction effect observed between time and team, p=0.022; post-hoc tests indicated that the volleyball team had a significant decrease in power, p=0.008. The main effect for time was not significant, p=0.279, indicating for the group as a whole, there was no evidence of a PAP response. The main effect for team was also non-significant, p=0.173, indicating no difference in power outputs by team. Strength and conditioning coaches who work with female athletes should be aware that the successful implementation of PAP complexes within this population appears to be highly individualized. Therefore, the use of PAP complexes in female athletes should consider both the absolute and relative strength of each athlete in conjunction with the length of the rest period when attempting to optimize the PAP response.