The effects of plyometric conditioning exercises on volleyball performance with self‐selected rest intervals

Abstract

Post‐activation performance enhancement remains a topic of debate in sport science. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of lower‐body plyometric conditioning activity (CA) with a self‐selected intra‐complex rest interval on upper and lower‐body volleyball specific performance. Eleven resistance‐trained female volleyball players participated in the study (age: 20 ± 2 years; body mass: 67.8 ± 4.4 kg; height: 178 ± 6 cm; half back squat one‐repetition maximum: 78.6 ± 10.2 kg; experience in resistance training: 5.5 ± 2.1 years and in volleyball training: 10 ± 2.3 years). Each participant performed a plyometric CA followed by two different sport‐specific tests: an attack jump and a standing spike attack. The changes in jump height (JH), relative mean power output (MP) and ball velocity (BV) were analyzed before and after the CA with self‐selected rest intervals. The applied plyometric CA with self‐selected intra‐complex rest intervals led to an insignificant decline in JH (p = 0.594; effect size [ES]: −0.27) and MP (p = 0.328; ES: −0.46) obtained during the attack jump as well as a significant decline in BV (p = 0.029; ES: −0.72) during the standing spike attack. This study showed that a plyometric CA with self‐selected intra‐complex rest intervals failed to elicit localized and non‐localized PAPE effect in a group of sub‐elite volleyball players.