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Leg Extension Strength, Explosive Strength, Muscle Activation, and Growth as Predictors of Vertical Jump Performance in Youth Athletes

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among leg extension strength, explosive strength, muscle activation, and measurements of growth to predictions of vertical jump performance in youth athletes.

Methods

Height, body mass, skinfolds, and quadriceps femoris muscle cross-sectional area were measured in 39 sports active children (20 females, 19 males, age = 12.52 ± 0.62 years old). Peak torque (PT), rate of torque development (RTD), rate of velocity development (RVD), and rate of electromyographic amplitude rise (RER) were measured during isometric and isokinetic leg extensions. PT, RTD, and RVD were expressed in absolute terms and normalized to body mass. Estimated jump height (JH) and peak power (PP) were assessed during static (SJ), counter-movement (CMJ), and drop (DJ) jumps.

Results

JH exhibited greater correlations with PT normalized to body mass (r = 0.387–0.758) than absolute PT (r = 0.338–0.417), whereas PP exhibited greater correlations with absolute PT (r = 0.368–0.837). Only negligible to moderate relationships existed between JH and PP across all jumps (r = 0.053–0.605). Over 50% of the variability in PP was predicted in 24 of 30 regression models with absolute muscle strength, muscle activation, and measurements of growth, while only 6 of 30 models predicted more than 50% of the variability in JH.

Conclusion

Overall, absolute static and dynamic muscle strength, muscle activation, and growth better explained PP measured during vertical jumps than estimated JH.

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Acknowledgements

Efforts for this study were funded, in part, by the University of Nebraska Agriculture Research Division with funds provided by the Hatch Act (Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Accession No: 1000080; Project No: NEB-36-078) and a grant from Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, OH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 211 Ruth Leverton Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

    Zachary M. Gillen, Marni E. Shoemaker, Brianna D. McKay, Nicholas A. Bohannon, Sydney M. Gibson & Joel T. Cramer

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  1. Zachary M. Gillen
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  2. Marni E. Shoemaker
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Correspondence to Joel T. Cramer.

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Conflict of interest

From 2001-present, Dr. Cramer’s research has been externally funded by 22 separate project grants from Abbott Nutrition, Nebraska Beef Council, Nebraska Extension, Stepan Lipid Nutrition, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, General Nutrition Corporation, Experimental & Applied Sciences, Nutricia, and the University of Nebraska Agriculture Research Division with funds provided by the Hatch Act. From 2010–2013, Joel was an expert witness or expert consultant in 10 separate legal matters representing defendants Vital Pharmaceuticals, MusclePharm, and Celsius. From 2008–2016, Dr. Joel T. Cramer was a paid consultant for either Abbott Nutrition, General Nutrition Center, ErgoGenix/ErgoPharm, and/or Corr-Jensen Labs. From 2018-present, Joel has served as a paid consultant for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

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Gillen, Z.M., Shoemaker, M.E., McKay, B.D. et al. Leg Extension Strength, Explosive Strength, Muscle Activation, and Growth as Predictors of Vertical Jump Performance in Youth Athletes. J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE 2, 336–348 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-020-00067-0

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