External and global internal focus of attention on whole-body similarly increases the vertical jump performance: a randomised, controlled and crossover study

The present study examined whether the previously observed benefits of an external focus of attention (i.e., focusing on the movement effect), relative to an internal focus (i.e., focusing on one's body movements) and control conditions, would generalize to tasks requiring maximum force production, such as jumping. In two experiments, participants performed a vertical jump-and-reach task. A Vertec™ measurement device was used to determine jump-and-reach height. Participants performed under three conditions in a within-participant design: External focus (i.e., focus on the rungs of the Vertec that were to be touched), internal focus (i.e., focus on the finger, with which the rungs were to be touched), and control conditions (i.e., focus on jumping as high as possible). Experiment 1 showed that participants' jump-and-reach height was greatest with an external focus. Those results were replicated in Experiment 2. In addition, it was observed that the vertical displacement of the center of mass was greater under the external focus condition, compared to the other two conditions. This suggests that participants jumped higher by producing greater forces when they adopted an external focus. These findings indicate that the previously shown benefits of an external attentional focus generalize to tasks requiring maximal force production

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Kinesiological Factors in Vertical Jump Performance: Differences Within individuals

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.13.1.45 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 45-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Luis F. Áragón-Vargas ◽

M. Melissa Gross

Keyword(s):

Vertical Jump ◽

Video Data ◽

Whole Body ◽

Jump Performance ◽

Joint Torques ◽

Vertical Jumping ◽

Single Subjects ◽

Negative Impulse ◽

Reaction Forces ◽

Coordination Patterns

The purpose of this study was to examine the changes in both the coordination patterns of segmental actions and the dynamics of vertical jumping that accompany changes in vertical jump performance (VJP) occurring from trial to trial in single subjects. Ground reaction forces and video data were analyzed for 50 maximal vertical jumps for 8 subjects. It was possible to predict VJP from whole-body or even segmental kinematics and kinetics in spite of the small jump performance variability. Best whole-body models included peak and average mechanical power, propulsion time, and peak negative impulse. Best segmental models included coordination variables and a few joint torques and powers. Contrary to expectations, VJP was lower for trials with a proximal-to-distal sequence of joint reversals.

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Potentiation of Vertical Jump Performance During a Snatch Pull Exercise Session

Journal of Applied Biomechanics ◽

10.1123/jab.28.6.627 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (6) ◽

pp. 627-635 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Loren Z.F. Chiu ◽

George J. Salem

Keyword(s):

Inverse Dynamics ◽

Vertical Jump ◽

Knee Extensor ◽

Whole Body ◽

Exercise Session ◽

Jump Height ◽

Joint Work ◽

Jump Performance ◽

Joint Kinetics ◽

3D Motion Analysis

Potentiation has been reported in power tasks immediately following a strength stimulus; however, only whole-body performance has been assessed. To determine the acute effects of weightlifting on vertical jump joint kinetics, performance was assessed before, during, and after snatch pull exercise in male athletes. Jumping was assessed using 3D motion analysis and inverse dynamics. Jump height was enhanced at the midpoint (5.77%;p= .001) and end (5.90%;p< .001) of the exercise session, indicating a greater powergenerating ability. At the midpoint, knee extensor net joint work was increased (p= .05) and associated with increased jump height (r= .57;p= .02). Following exercise, ankle plantar flexor net joint work was increased (p= .02) and associated with increased jump height (r= .67;p= .006). Snatch pull exercise elicited acute enhancements in vertical jump performance. At the midpoint of the exercise session, greater work at the knee joint contributed to enhanced performance. At the end of the exercise session, greater work at the ankle contributed to enhanced performance. Consequently, potentiation is not elicited uniformly across joints during multijoint exercise.

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