Kinematic and Neuromuscular Measures of Intensity During Drop Jumps in Female Volleyball Players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess drop jump (DJ) performance variables (jump height, contact time, and reactive strength index) concomitant to surface electromyography (sEMG) of lower limb muscles during DJs from different drop heights (intensities). The eccentric and concentric phase sEMG from the gastrocnemius medialis, biceps femoris, and vastus medialis muscles were assessed during all tests, with sEMG activity normalized to maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). In a cross-sectional, study, 10 amateur female volleyball players (age 22.1 ± 1.8 years; body mass 72.9 ± 15.2 kg; height 1.70 ± 0.08 m) completed DJs from six heights [15–90 cm (DJ15 to DJ90)]. During DJs there was no jump-target box to rebound on to. Results of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the jump height, contact time, and reactive strength index were not significantly (p > 0.05) different between drop heights. Mean biceps femoris eccentric and concentric sEMG ranged from 27 to 50%, although without significant differences between drop heights. Mean gastrocnemius medialis eccentric and concentric sEMG remained relatively constant (∼60–80% MVIC) across DJs heights, although eccentric values reached 90–120% MVIC from DJ75 to DJ90. Mean variations of ∼50–100% MVIC for eccentric and ∼50–70% MVIC for concentric sEMG activations were observed in the vastus medialis across DJs heights. The biceps femoris eccentric/concentric sEMG ratio during DJ45 (i.e., 1.0) was lower (p = 0.03) compared to the ratio observed after DJ90 (i.e., 3.2). The gastrocnemius medialis and vastus medialis eccentric/concentric sEMG ratio were not significantly different between drop heights. In conclusion, jumping performance and most neuromuscular markers were not sensitive to DJ height (intensity) in amateur female volleyball athletes.

Comparison of Sports Performance and Kinanthropometric Profiles of Elite Female Basketball and Volleyball Players over the Course of a Competitive Season

“…7738), and %AM-YoyoIRT (r: −0.8090), %FMM-RSA (r: −0.8051), %FMM-Illinois (r: −0.8243), and endomorphy-RSA (r: 0.7860) in basketball, and (ii) %FMM-ABK (r: 0.8304) in volleyball. In summary, our main results support the hypothesis that variation in anthropometric parameters is related to sports performance outcomes in elite female basketball and volleyball players [60].…”

Exploration of branches of physics for handling several cases in sports applications: A systematic literature review

“…Research conducted by Carus & Mamaqi-Kapllani (2023), focuses on the use of sensor technology in improving athletic technique and performance, highlighting the importance of real-time feedback in sports training. Exploring the use of advanced tools and analysis methods can also be utilized to understand and enhance athletic performance through biomechanical physics principles (Elfmark et al, 2022;Hribernik & Kos, 2023;Santos et al, 2020;Torres-Banduc et al, 2021) The development of methodologies to measure and improve biomechanical efficiency and sports performance is crucial. The dynamics of motion and its relationship with mechanical efficiency provide insight into how biomechanical aspects can be manipulated for performance enhancement and injury risk reduction (Amara et al, 2021;Giménez-egido et al, 2020;Janowski et al, 2020;Zimmerman et al, 2023).…”

Kinetic Comparison between Drop Jumps and Horizontal Drop Jumps in Elite Jumpers and Sprinters

“…The kinetic evaluation of the drop jump (DJ) and the horizontal drop jump (HDJ) has been reported in the literature [7,8]. Researchers have attempted to quantify exercise intensity [2,[9][10][11][12], establish differences between a limited number of plyometric activities [8,[12][13][14], and determine the best technique. For example, science considers that during rebound DJs, GRF can be 1.5 higher than that produced during countermovement DJs [15].…”