ABSTRACT This study assessed general and more detailed post‐activation performance enhancement responses to cluster sets (CS) + accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) versus a traditional method (TRD) in vertical jump performance and strategy. Six men and six women completed lower‐body complex training: countermovement jump was performed at baseline and 1‐, 2‐, 4‐, and 6‐min after back squat using CS + AEL and TRD in a randomized crossover manner. CS + AEL used 20 s of inter‐repetition rests for back squat and 30% body mass dumbbells for countermovement jump (on the first repetition only across three repetitions at 2‐, 4‐, and 6‐min post), unlike TRD. Data were analyzed as: condition × time (1‐, 2‐, 4‐, and 6‐min) and condition × time (2‐, 4‐, and 6‐min) × rep (1, 2, and 3), with baseline as a covariate. Peak power was significantly ( p < 0.05) decreased during CS + AEL at 4‐min ( g = −0.73) and increased during TRD at 2‐min ( g = 0.46) compared to respective baseline. Peak power was significantly reduced during CS + AEL at 4‐min on rep 2 ( g = −0.85) and 3 ( g = −1.28) and elevated during TRD at 2‐min on rep 3 ( g = 0.72) compared to respective rep 1. Despite a significant interaction for concentric duration, none of the repetitions were statistically different compared to respective rep 1. CS + AEL compromised post‐activation performance enhancement at 4‐min post, potentially due to rep‐to‐rep decreases in peak power on rep 2 and 3, unlike TRD.
Chae et al. (Thu,) studied this question.