Mechanical, Physiological, and Perceptual Demands of Repeated Power Ability Lower-Body and Upper-Body Tests in Youth Athletes: Somatic Maturation as a Factor on the Performance

This study aims (a) to assess and compare the acute mechanical, physiological, and perceptual demands induced by a lower and upper body repeated power ability (RPA) protocols, and (b) to examine how the somatic maturation could predict training response in RPA. Thirteen young male basketball players (chronological age = 15.2 ± 1.1 years; height = 173.8 ± 9.5 cm; body mass = 71.7 ± 18.3 kg) were selected to perform the parallel Back Squat (BS), and Bench Press (BP) RPA protocols (3 blocks of 5 sets of 5 repetitions with 30 s and 3 min of passive recovery between sets and blocks, respectively). Mean propulsive power (MPP), accelerometer-based data, cardio-respiratory data, blood lactate, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle soreness were recorded. Somatic maturation was estimated according to the Khamis and Roche method. On the BS protocol, the mean oxygen uptake (VO(2)), heart rate (HR), and RPE were 1006.33 ± 481.85 ml/min., 133.8 ± 12.5 bpm, and 6.14 ± 0.98 A.U., while on the BP protocol, were 684.6 ± 246.3 ml/min., 96.1 ± 10.4 bpm, and 5.08 ± 1.44 A.U., respectively. Significant between-blocks differences were found for MPP, RPE, and blood lactate for both exercises. The BS implies higher cardio-respiratory and perceptual demands, though lower power production fluctuation and movement variability than the BP. The somatic maturation was a strong predictor of RPA-derived variables in BS. The MPP during all protocol, and the MPP during the Best Set were significant predictable by somatic maturation in both exercises. Mechanical, physiological and perceptual training demands are exercise and maturation dependent.