Effects of Back Squat Post Activation PotentiationProtocol on 30 Meter Sprint Performance : Amongst male Crossfit athletes

Abstract: Background: Post activation potentiation (PAP) is an increased muscular performance thatoccurs after maximal voluntary contraction. Previous studies have shown a significantincrease in explosive movements, such as sprint and jump performance, as an effect ofthese maximal contractions. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze if PAP, in terms of heavy squats, has aperformance enhancing effect on 30 meter sprint, with a hypothesis that the maximal effortin the squat has a performance enhancing effect on 30 meter sprint. Method: Twelve healthy male Crossfit athletes from Crossfit Halmstad, age between x-x,volunteered to participate in the study, eleven of these completed all of the test sessions in thiscross-sectional study. During the first test session, the subjects attempted to set a onerepetition max (1RM) in the back squat. During the second and third test session, the subjectswere randomly divided into two groups and the subjects got to perform both the non-PAP andthe PAP protocol during different sessions, depending on which group they were in. Thesprint time was measured with a handheld stopwatch. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was usedto determine significant differences between sprint time after the two different protocols, andthe level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Result: The result showed that there was no significant difference between PAP and non-PAPprotocols (p = 0,679). With a median value of 4,78 seconds, a minimum value of 4,59seconds and a maximum value of 5,54 seconds for the sprint trials after PAP and a medianvalue of 4,82 seconds, a minimum value of 4,59 seconds and a maximum value of 5,31seconds for the sprint trials without PAP, the results did not confirm the hypothesis. Conclusion: As an effect from the low number of participants, the result could be deceptive.The study could have show a different result if the number of participants would exceed atleast 25 subjects. There are no performance enhancing effects in the sprint after PAP, in thisstudy. Further research is required, to determine possible performance enhancing effectsfrom PAP.