Optimization of post-activation potentiation in girls and women

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2024-09, Vol.124 (9), p.2737-2747
• Main Authors: McKiel, Andrew, Woods, Stacey, Faragher, McKenna, Taylor, Gregory, Vandenboom, Rene, Falk, Bareket
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body fat; Child; Children & youth; Exercise; Female; Females; Gender differences; Human Physiology; Humans; Isometric Contraction - physiology; Knee; Knee - physiology; Muscle contraction; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Musculoskeletal system; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Physical fitness; Physiology; Skeletal muscle; Sports Medicine; Torque; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-024-05475-6

Background Maximal conditioning contractions (CCs) can lead to the enhancement of evoked-twitch characteristics in human skeletal muscle. This phenomenon is termed post-activation potentiation (PAP). In the knee extensors, PAP is greater in men compared with boys. In adults, the optimal CC duration for PAP is ~ 10 s. We examined child–adult differences in PAP among females and aimed to determine the optimal CC duration in girls and women. Methods Eleven girls (9.3 ± 1.4 years) and 13 women (23.4 ± 2.7 years) participated in this study. Maximal isometric evoked twitches were recorded in the knee extensors before and after 4 maximal CCs of different durations (5, 10, 20, and 30 s), in a random order. PAP was calculated as the percent-change in peak torque (Tpeak) and peak rate of torque development (RTDpeak) after each CC. Results There was a group-by-duration interaction ( p