Effects of jump training on power, strength, balance and aerobic performance in non exercising young adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.545Keywords:
exercise, countermeasure, neuromuscular, cardiorespiratoryAbstract
Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases and associated mortality worldwide. A specifically tailored jump training has proven to be an efficient exercise countermeasure that can maintain health resources despite two months of otherwise complete inactivity. In the present study, we tested the effects of such a training program under real-life conditions. Seventy-five young adults (38 female, age 23 ± 3 years) were randomly assigned to either a training or a control group. The training group underwent an 8 week jump training with 15 min of jump exercises, 3 days per week. Before and after the 8-week period as well as another 8 weeks later we tested jump performance in countermovement jumps (CMJ) and hops, balance performance during one leg stance, maximal isometric strength of leg extensor muscles, stair climb performance, gait analysis, and peak oxygen uptake in a cardiopulmonary exercise test. We observed training specific increases (8 ± 9 %) in CMJ height that were explained by an optimized movement technique during the jump. We did not observe any generic improvements of anaerobic or aerobic power, strength or balance performance after the training. Solely for peak oxygen uptake, participants exhibiting low baseline levels appeared to benefit from the jump training. As the effectiveness of such training on several physiological systems had been demonstrated previously during bed rest, it is reasonable to hypothesise that the training load employed in the present study was sub-threshold for more generic adaptations in non-exercised but otherwise active participants.
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