Performances and Fatigue Responses to Weighted Vest Training in Parkour Novices

Weighted vest training has demonstrated benefits for muscle strength, which is critical for parkour performance. However, the acute effects of external loading in this discipline remain poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of weighted vest use during parkour sessions on lower-limb performance, perceived exertion, and muscle soreness. Seventeen healthy physically active young adults (21.7 ± 2.8 years) completed two randomized experimental sessions separated by 1 week: parkour without load (PK) and parkour with a weighted vest (PK-WV) corresponding to 10% of body mass. Each session comprised standardized preparation, warm-up, pretests, a 1-h parkour training, and posttests. Subjective measures included rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle soreness. Performance was assessed using vertical jumps (squat jump, countermovement jump, and drop jump), standing long jump, and 10-m sprints with and without obstacles. RPE and perceived fatigue were significantly higher after PK-WV compared with PK (p < 0.001). Muscle soreness was greater in the quadriceps at 24 h and in the calves at 72 h following PK-WV (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). Standing long jump and 10-m sprint with obstacles were significantly reduced after PK-WV, whereas squat jump, countermovement jump, and straight-line sprint were unchanged. In contrast, drop-jump height unexpectedly increased after PK-WV (p < 0.001). Weighted vest use during parkour substantially elevates internal load and subjective fatigue, and selectively impairs the most motor-demanding tasks, while preserving muscle power and enhancing stretch-shortening cycle performance. These findings suggest that external loading may transiently alter motor control while inducing neuromuscular potentiation.