The short-term enhancement of physical performance known as post-activation potentiation could be exploited in the design of sport-specific training sessions. The purpose of this study was to compare the potentiation of softball throwing velocity following two kinds of resistance-training session: a control session consisting of traditional heavy-load sets, and an experimental "Pmax" session consisting of sets of loads selected to maximise the mean power output during explosive bench presses. Both sessions included plyometric medicine ball chest passes. Eight male softball players of premier grade, with at least 2 yr experience of resistance training, performed the two sessions in a crossover fashion, with 30 min recovery between sessions. Softball throwing velocity was measured with a radar gun immediately before and at 2-min intervals 4-10 min after each session. Percent effects on throwing speed were analyzed via log transformation, and t statistics were used to make magnitude-based inferences with respect to the smallest important change of 2%. The average throwing velocity increased between pre and post tests for both treatments; the average increase was a substantial 2.3% (0.5 to 4.1%). Throwing velocity after Pmax training was a trivial 0.4% slower relative to that after heavy-load training (90% confidence limits -1.2 to 1.9%). There was a greater change in throwing velocity by 10 min post treatment than by 4 min post treatment; the change by 10 min was 5.0% (3.2 to 6.7%) for the Pmax training session and 5.3% (2.1 to 8.6%) for the heavy-load session. These effects were almost certainly beneficial for throwing speed, but the difference between them was unclear (-0.3%; -3.7 to 3.1%). The mean change between 4 and 10 min for both treatments combined was 5.1% (90% confidence limits 3.6 to 6.7%). The short-term enhancement of throwing performance following heavy-load and Pmax training sets has implications for the design of softball warm-up routines. There is also the potential for softball players to use such training to improve their throwing velocity during games.

The short-term enhancement of physical performance known as post-activation potentiation could be exploited in the design of sport-specific training sessions. The purpose of this study was to compare the potentiation of softball throwing velocity following two kinds of resistance-training session: a control session consisting of traditional heavy-load sets, and an experimental "Pmax" session consisting of sets of loads selected to maximise the mean power output during explosive bench presses. Both sessions included plyometric medicine ball chest passes. Eight male softball players of premier grade, with at least 2 yr experience of resistance training, performed the two sessions in a crossover fashion, with 30 min recovery between sessions. Softball throwing velocity was measured with a radar gun immediately before and at 2-min intervals 4-10 min after each session. Percent effects on throwing speed were analyzed via log transformation, and t statistics were used to make magnitude-based inferences with respect to the smallest important change of 2%. The average throwing velocity increased between pre and post tests for both treatments; the average increase was a substantial 2.3% (0.5 to 4.1%). Throwing velocity after Pmax training was a trivial 0.4% slower relative to that after heavy-load training (90% confidence limits -1.2 to 1.9%). There was a greater change in throwing velocity by 10 min post treatment than by 4 min post treatment; the change by 10 min was 5.0% (3.2 to 6.7%) for the Pmax training session and 5.3% (2.1 to 8.6%) for the heavy-load session. These effects were almost certainly beneficial for throwing speed, but the difference between them was unclear (-0.3%; -3.7 to 3.1%). The mean change between 4 and 10 min for both treatments combined was 5.1% (90% confidence limits 3.6 to 6.7%). The short-term enhancement of throwing performance following heavy-load and Pmax training sets has implications for the design of softball warm-up routines. There is also the potential for softball players to use such training to improve their throwing velocity during games.

Abstract available in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an overreach and taper on measures of muscle architecture, jumping, and throwing performance in Division I collegiate throwers preparing for conference championships. Six collegiate track and field throwers (3 hammer, 2 discus, 1 javelin) trained for 12 weeks using a block-periodization model culminating with a 1-week overreach followed by a 3-week taper (ORT). Session rating of perceived exertion training load (RPETL) and strength training volume-load times bar displacement (VLd) were recorded weekly. Athletes were tested pre-ORT and post-ORT on measures of vastus lateralis architecture, unloaded and loaded squat and countermovement jump performance, underhand and overhead throwing performance, and competition throwing performance. There was a statistical reduction in weight training VLd/session (d = 1.21, p ≤ 0.05) and RPETL/session (d = 0.9, p ≤ 0.05) between the in-season and ORT training phases. Five of 6 athletes improved overhead throw and competition throwing performance after the ORT (d = 0.50, p ≤ 0.05). Vastus lateralis muscle thickness statistically increased after the in-season training phase (d = 0.28, p ≤ 0.05) but did not change after the ORT. Unloaded countermovement jump peak force and relative peak power improved significantly after the ORT (d = 0.59, p ≤ 0.05, d = 0.31, p ≤ 0.05, respectively). These findings demonstrate that an overreaching week followed by a 3-week taper is an effective means of improving explosive ability and throwing performance in collegiate track and field throwers despite the absence of detectable changes in muscle architecture.

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of an overreaching week followed by a 3-week taper (ORT) on DI collegiate throwers after 8 weeks of in-season training. METHODS: Seven throwers (5 male, 2 female) (20.8 ± 1.1 years, 182.9 ± 7.6 cm, 100.6 ± 22.2 kg) were recruited for the study. Throwing performance (TP) was normalized across events using z-scores calculated from the top 500 throws/year in DI over the past 5 years (-1.28 ± 0.99). Athletes were tested on measures of vastus lateralis muscle thickness (MT) using B-mode ultrasound, countermovement jump peak power with 0kg (CMJPP0) on a force platform, overhead shot put throw (OHT) at baseline (T1), pre-taper (T2) and post-taper (T3). TP was measured at a conference meet and championships. Training load (TL=session RPE·duration) and strength training volume-load (VL) were monitored for 12 weeks at all training sessions and competitions. One-way repeated measures ANOVA and paired sample t-tests were used for analysis with alpha level set at p"0.05. RESULTS: There was a statistical reduction in weight training VL (d=1.21, 90% CI [0.58, 1.8], p=0.01) and TL (d=0.96 [0.26, 1.7], p=0.04) between in-season (T1 to T2) and OR-T (T2 to T3) training phases. There were statistical time effects for MT (p=0.02), CMJPP0 (p=0.02), and TP (p=0.04). Post-hoc analysis revealed statistical improvements in MT (T1-T2: d=0.28 [0.11, 0.45], p=0.02), CMJPP0 (T2-T3: d=0.27 [0.1, 0.44], p=0.02), OHT (T2-T3: d=0.49 [0.16, 0.82], p=0.03) and TP (T2-T3, d=0.57 [0.22, 0.93], p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The OR-T appeared to augment TP at conference championships and national ranking. Collegiate throwers may benefit from an OR-T phase where TL and VL are exponentially reduced prior to an important competition.