Acute effects of repeated isoinertial lunges on jump and sprint parameters

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. Understanding the relationship between repeated isoinertial lunges and jump and sprint parameters is an important factor in achieving success in sports requiring explosive strength and speed. The aim of this study was to examine the acute effects of repeated isoinertial lunges on jump and sprint parameters. Material and Methods. Volunteered 42 students from Sports Sciences Faculty were participated to the study. They were randomly divided into experimental group (EG) (n=22, age=22.8±1.1year, height=180.6±7.1cm, body weight=77.5±8.8kg) and control group (CG) (n=20, age=23.0±2.1year, height=173.1±5.6 cm, body weight=71.3±8.4 kg). As pre- and post-tests, each participant performed squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and 30m sprint on a non-motorized treadmill. Isoinertial lunges were included in 8 reps with dominant leg (DL), 1 min rest, and 8 reps with non-dominant leg (NDL). As a statistical analysis, pre- and post-test differences were analyzed with independent t test between groups and paired t test within groups. The level of significance was taken as p≤0.05. Results. There were pre-test and also post-test differences between groups in SJ (p<0.05) but there were no differences within groups. Both groups had significant pre- and post-test time, velocity, and power differences [for EG: p<0.01, p<0.001, p<0.01; for CG: p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.01, respectively]. EG had significant pre- and post-test differences in stride frequency (SF) (p<0.01). There was a post-test SF difference between two groups (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant pre-test differences between the groups in 30m sprint parameters of NDL and DL. There were only significant post-test differences between the groups in SFDL (p<0.005) and NDL horizontal force (HFNDL) (p<0.01). EG had only significant pre- and post-test differences in SFDL and PNDL (p<0.005 and p<0.05). Conclusions. Detailed studies in SF and SFDL increases result by repeated isoinertial lunges should be beneficial focus on DL neuromuscular activation. Furthermore, incorporating repeated isoinertial lunges into training regimens could be a valuable strategy for enhancing specific aspects of athletic performance in sports that demand high levels of speed and explosive power.