PeerJ. 2026 Jul 30;14:e21550. doi: 10.7717/peerj.21550. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
AIM: This study investigated the effects of different velocity loss (VL) thresholds during squat exercise at 80% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) on post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) in basketball players.
METHODS: Nineteen male collegiate basketball players completed three familiarization sessions and four randomized crossover experimental sessions: control (passive rest), 5% VL, 10% VL, and 20% VL. Countermovement jump height (JH), peak power output (PPO), and reactive strength index modified (RSIm) were measured pre-test and at 3-min and 8-min post-squat. Linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) evaluated the effects of time, condition, and mean-centered relative strength on the outcome variables and repetition counts. To identify responders who exhibited meaningful improvements in jump height, the smallest worthwhile change (SWC) was calculated.
RESULTS: At the group level, no significant condition × time interactions or main effects of condition were observed for JH, PPO, or RSIm (p > 0.05), indicating no uniform PAPE effect across protocols. Furthermore, no statistically significant strength × time × condition interaction effects were observed. Repetition counts did not differ between the 5% and 10% VL conditions but were significantly lower in both conditions compared to the 20% VL condition (p < 0.01). Individual analysis showed the 20% VL condition yielded the highest number of responders (n = 11; 58%).
CONCLUSION: Squat protocols using 5-20% VL at 80% 1RM did not produce significant group-level CMJ performance improvements, suggesting that a comprehensive warm-up may create a performance ceiling. Furthermore, these responses were not moderated by relative strength. However, the high inter-individual variability and responder rates at higher VL thresholds highlight the importance of individualized PAPE programming.
PMID:42544330 | PMC:PMC13429104 | DOI:10.7717/peerj.21550
