Unilateral Post-Activation Performance Enhancement in a Bilateral Task

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Human Movement Science
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is a phenomenon where a preceding voluntary contraction can enhance subsequent muscular performance.
• The influence of leg dominance and unilateral conditioning on PAPE during bilateral tasks remains incompletely understood.
• Assessing laterality and its impact on performance enhancement requires nuanced investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of unilateral conditioning exercises on PAPE during a bilateral task.
• To examine the role of leg dominance and footedness in PAPE.
• To determine if conditioning effects differ between ipsilateral and contralateral limbs and across different footedness groups.

Main Methods:

• 22 young adults underwent testing over three days.
• Measurements included unilateral and bilateral leg power, balance, and reactive lateral leaps.
• Subjects completed a footedness questionnaire, and performance was assessed pre- and post-unilateral conditioning exercises.

Main Results:

• No significant ipsilateral or contralateral PAPE effects were observed for leaping distance or response time.
• Footedness significantly influenced performance changes following conditioning exercises.
• Mixed-footed individuals exhibited slower response times and increased leap distances post-conditioning, irrespective of the conditioned leg.

Conclusions:

• Unilateral conditioning exercises may not reliably induce PAPE in bilateral tasks.
• Mixed footedness appears to influence performance strategies following conditioning exercises.
• Unidimensional assessments of leg dominance may be insufficient for evaluating sport and exercise performance characteristics.