The Biomechanical Effects of Percussive Therapy Treatment on Jump Performance.

Percussive therapy treatment is one form of myofascial release that has gained popularity amongst the sport community. It has been suggested that percussive therapy treatment may improve range of motion and improve athletic performance, but these claims are largely anecdotal. Currently, the effects of percussive therapy treatment on performance of athletic tasks is relatively unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess the effects of percussive therapy treatment on jump performance and passive range of motion. Twenty-six recreationally active college individuals performed countermovement jump and drop jump activities on two different days (one day with and one day without the use of percussive therapy treatment). Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were assessed during the jump activities. Passive range of motion was additionally assessed before and after warm up. A significant decrease in peak ankle eversion (2.0° during landing and 2.4° during take-off) was evident during the drop jump following the use of percussive therapy. All other frontal/sagittal plane peak joint angle and moment changes were nonsignificant. The hip and knee flexors and ankle extensors all showed increases in passive range of motion following treatment. Athletes who use percussive therapy treatment prior to physical activity will not have any adverse effects on performance or increased risk of injury. Muscles with lower levels of flexibility might be more susceptible to strain or injury. Percussive therapy treatment increased range of motion, which might help decrease the risk of injury.

Footwear Affects Conventional and Sumo Deadlift Performance.

Barefoot weightlifting has become a popular training modality in recent years due to anecdotal suggestions of improved performance. However, research to support these anecdotal claims is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the differences between the conventional deadlift (CD) and the sumo deadlift (SD) in barefoot and shod conditions. On day one, one-repetition maximums (1 RM) were assessed for thirty subjects in both the CD and SD styles. At least 72 h later, subjects returned to perform five repetitions in four different conditions (barefoot and shod for both CD and SD) at 70% 1 RM. A 2 × 2 (footwear × lifting style) MANOVA was used to assess differences between peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), total mechanical work (WORK), barbell vertical displacement (DISP), peak vertical velocity (PV) and lift time (TIME) during the concentric phase. The CD displayed significant increases in VGRF, DISP, WORK, and TIME over the SD. The shod condition displayed increased WORK, DISP, and TIME compared to the barefoot condition. This study suggests that lifting barefoot does not improve performance as no differences in VGRF or PV were evident. The presence of a shoe does appear to increase the DISP and WORK required to complete the lift, suggesting an increased work load is present while wearing shoes.