External Attention Focus Enhances Standing Long Jump Performance by Modulating Muscle Dynamics Compared With Internal...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Science
• Motor Control

Background:

• Attentional focus strategies are crucial in sports training.
• External focus (EF) improves standing long jump (SLJ) performance.
• Muscular dynamics underlying EF benefits in SLJ are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of EF on muscular dynamics during the SLJ.
• To compare EF with internal focus (IF) and control conditions.

Main Methods:

• 12 healthy males performed SLJ under EF, IF, and control conditions using a Latin square design.
• Kinematic and dynamic data were recorded during the take-off phase.
• Inverse dynamics analysis was used to calculate joint and muscle forces.

Main Results:

• EF resulted in longer jump distances, lower projection angles, and higher peak horizontal velocities and impulses compared to IF and control.
• EF increased center of mass displacement during eccentric muscle action and decreased it during concentric action.
• Peak muscle force and rate of force development in the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and gluteus maximus were higher under EF.

Conclusions:

• EF strategy enhances SLJ mechanics by improving eccentric muscle contraction efficiency.
• This leads to increased stored elastic potential energy, boosting concentric force production.
• The findings suggest EF optimizes muscle function for greater jump performance.