The influence of varied rest interval lengths on depth jump performance

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of varied rest interval lengths on the vertical jump heights and ground reaction forces during the execution of a depth jump from a predetermined optimal height. The subjects were 12 men with a mean (SD) age of 25.08 +/- 2.43 years. Each subject's optimal depth jump height was determined by executing depth jumps from 10-80 cm. After determining their optimal depth jump height, the subjects performed 3 sets of 10 depth jumps, each set with a different rest interval duration. The 3 rest intervals between depth jumps were 15, 30, and 60 seconds and were counterbalanced for each subject. Maximal vertical jump height and vertical ground reaction forces were calculated for each depth jump trial. The Peak Performance Motion Measurement System was used to measure vertical jump height and the Kistler force platform was used to measure ground reaction forces. Two-way analyses of variance revealed that rest interval length did not affect (p > 0.05) vertical jump height or vertical ground reaction forces. Therefore, this study demonstrated a 15-second rest interval was sufficient for recovery during the performance of depth jumps.