Neuromuscular Effects to 6 Weeks of Loaded Countermovement Jumping With Traditional and Daily Undulating Periodization

Ullrich, B, Pelzer, T, and Pfeiffer, M. Neuromuscular effects to 6 weeks of loaded countermovement jumping with traditional and daily undulating periodization. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 660-674, 2018-Loaded vertical jumps are routinely used to enhance athlete's power production in the lower extremity and to optimize jumping and sprinting performance. This study compared traditional (TP) and daily undulating (DUP) periodization on muscle strength, jumping performance, electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity, and muscle architecture during preseason loaded jump training. Twenty-two athletes from different team sports (age: 24.3 ± 2.6 years, height: 175.9 ± 7.5 cm, body mass: 72.2 ± 8.4 kg, 12 males/10 females, strength training experience: 5.1 ± 2.2 years) performed 6 weeks of loaded countermovement jumping (CMJ) (18 sessions) during which subjects arranged the experimental training loads with either TP or DUP. Therefore, loading conditions corresponding to 0, 15, and 30% of individual body mass were used by manipulating weighted training vests and the intensity zones and training volume were equated between the groups. Pre- to post-training, center of mass (COM) maximal CMJ performance, isometric maximal voluntary contractive capacity of the leg extensors (MVC), EMG maximal voluntary muscle activity of knee extensor muscles, and vastus lateralis and rectus femoris muscle architecture were examined. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variances (MANOVA with factors: time × training group) revealed moderate (5-16%) but significant (p ≤ 0.006) temporal increases in COM jumping height, leg extensor MVC and muscle architecture in both groups. Importantly, these temporal alterations were similar using either TP or DUP. Therefore, our data indicate that both periodization models can be effectively applied to increase leg extensor strength, vertical jumping performance, and muscle architecture during short-term preseason loaded jump training.