Effectiveness of an Individualized Training Based on Force-Velocity Profiling during Jumping

Ballistic performances are determined by both the maximal lower limb power output (P(max)) and their individual force-velocity (F-v) mechanical profile, especially the F-v imbalance (FV(imb)): difference between the athlete's actual and optimal profile. An optimized training should aim to increase P(max) and/or reduce FV(imb). The aim of this study was to test whether an individualized training program based on the individual F-v profile would decrease subjects' individual FV(imb) and in turn improve vertical jump performance. FVimb was used as the reference to assign participants to different training intervention groups. Eighty four subjects were assigned to three groups: an “optimized” group divided into velocity-deficit, force-deficit, and well-balanced sub-groups based on subjects' FV(imb), a “non-optimized” group for which the training program was not specifically based on FV(imb) and a control group. All subjects underwent a 9-week specific resistance training program. The programs were designed to reduce FV(imb) for the optimized groups (with specific programs for sub-groups based on individual FV(imb) values), while the non-optimized group followed a classical program exactly similar for all subjects. All subjects in the three optimized training sub-groups (velocity-deficit, force-deficit, and well-balanced) increased their jumping performance (12.7 ± 5.7% ES = 0.93 ± 0.09, 14.2 ± 7.3% ES = 1.00 ± 0.17, and 7.2 ± 4.5% ES = 0.70 ± 0.36, respectively) with jump height improvement for all subjects, whereas the results were much more variable and unclear in the non-optimized group. This greater change in jump height was associated with a markedly reduced FV(imb) for both force-deficit (57.9 ± 34.7% decrease in FV(imb)) and velocity-deficit (20.1 ± 4.3%) subjects, and unclear or small changes in P(max) (−0.40 ± 8.4% and +10.5 ± 5.2%, respectively). An individualized training program specifically based on FV(imb) (gap between the actual and optimal F-v profiles of each individual) was more efficient at improving jumping performance (i.e., unloaded squat jump height) than a traditional resistance training common to all subjects regardless of their FV(imb). Although improving both FV(imb) and P(max) has to be considered to improve ballistic performance, the present results showed that reducing FV(imb) without even increasing P(max) lead to clearly beneficial jump performance changes. Thus, FV(imb) could be considered as a potentially useful variable for prescribing optimal resistance training to improve ballistic performance.