Effect of Post Activation Potentiation Induced By Elastic Resistance on Kinematics And Performance in A Roundhouse Kick of Trained Martial Arts Practitioners.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine if kicking with elastic resistance during warm-up could initiate Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP), and thereby positively influence kinematics and performance on subsequent explosive roundhouse kicking. Five woman and eleven men (n=16) with a background in kickboxing (n=10) and/or TaeKwonDo (n=6) performed two warm-up strategies with three subsequent test-kicks 5-8 minutes after a PAP inducing exercise. Kicking performance, defined as roundhouse kicking velocity with the foot, was measured using 3D motion capture (500 Hz) with a 15 marker lower body 3D model. In addition, electromyography of the prime movers; vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and rectus femoris muscles, was measured to confirm the presence of PAP. Kicking velocity of the foot increased by 3.3% after performing a warming-up strategy including kicking with elastic resistance (p=0.009, η2 = 0.32). Increases were also recorded in muscle activity in vastus medialis (35.2%, p=0.05, η2 = 0.18) and rectus femoris (43.9%, p=0.04, η2 = 0.20). These findings indicate that performing a warm-up strategy includin