Impact of the Wingate Test on Post-activation Potentiation

Comparing the Effects of Post Activation Potentiation on Vertical Jump Using High-Intensity Back Squat vs. Wingate Bike Test in Healthy Adults

The goal of this trial is to see if using a maximal effort, short cycling test is better at activating muscles to improve vertical jump height compared to a maximal effort back squat. The study looks to answer three questions:

1. will the Wingate bike test create a different change in counter movement jump height compared to a back squat?
2. What is the best recovery period after each test where the counter movement jump is the highest?
3. What person-specific factors predict success of the Wingate bike test as a activation activity for the counter movement jump? Participants will visit the lab 3 times, once to give informed consent and measure their 1 repetition max (RM) back squat, and twice to perform each intervention and measure vertical jump height.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Activation; Performance Enhancement
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Back squat; Other: Wingate test

Detailed Description

Participants will be asked to come to the lab for three visits. On the first visit, they will perform informed consent, have anthropometrics taken, and will provide data to assess weightlifting history and factors that may influence the impact of each intervention. They will perform a 1 repetition max (RM) test for the back squat in order to properly dose the back squat potentiation activity. Visits 2 and 3 will be randomized; one will use the back squat (control) and the other will use the Wingate bike test (experimental) to potentiate vertical jump height as measured by the counter movement jump (CMJ). In each session, a warm up will be performed and the baseline CMJ will be performed. The intervention will be performed, either the 30 second Wingate protocol which is a maximal effort cycling test, or the back squat at a high percent of the 1 RM. The CMJ will be reassessed at 3, 6, and 9 minutes after completed each intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 35
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Louisiana
    • Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, 71103
      • LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy adult
• successful completion of the physical activity readiness questionnaire plus
• at least 1 year of back squat weight training experience

Exclusion Criteria:

• inability to back squat at least 1.4 times body weight
• females with known pregnancy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Back squat; Participants will perform 2 sets of 3 repetitions at 85% of their 1 repetition maximum weight for the back squat	Other: Back squat; 2 sets of 3 repetitions of a back squat, set to 85% of the 1 repetition maximum weight
Experimental: Wingate test; Participants will perform the Wingate bike test, with resistance at 7.5% of body weight, with a maximal effort for 30 seconds.	Other: Wingate test; 30 second maximal effort cycling test, with resistance at 7.5% bodyweight

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Vertical Jump Height	Measured with the Counter Movement Jump (CMJ). This measures the vertical distance a participant is able to jump from a standing, stationary position. Video capture and motion analysis software will be used to analyze the jump and determine vertical displacement of a marker placed at the participants sacrum. Vertical jump height will be measured in meters.	Visit 2 (1 week post- enrollment); visit 3 (2 weeks post-enrollment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Years of resistance training experience	This factor will be collected to examine its predictive impact on the Wingate test's potentiation effect. The number of years of resistance training each participants has participated in will be collected.	Collected at visit 1, upon enrollment into the study
One-Repetition Maximum Back Squat Strength	This factor will be collected to examine its predictive impact on the Wingate test's potentiation effect. The 1 repetition maximum weight in kilograms for the back squat exercise will be collected.	Collected at visit 1, upon enrollment into the study

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Erin McCallister, DPT, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Sirieiro P, Nasser I, Dobbs WC, Willardson JM, Miranda H. The Effect of Set Configuration and Load on Post-Activation Potentiation on Vertical Jump in Athletes. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Aug 1;14(4):902-911. doi: 10.70252/CCLW6758. eCollection 2021.
• Jo E, Judelson DA, Brown LE, Coburn JW, Dabbs NC. Influence of recovery duration after a potentiating stimulus on muscular power in recreationally trained individuals. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Feb;24(2):343-7. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cc22a4.
• Esformes JI, Bampouras TM. Effect of back squat depth on lower-body postactivation potentiation. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Nov;27(11):2997-3000. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828d4465.
• Lowery RP, Duncan NM, Loenneke JP, Sikorski EM, Naimo MA, Brown LE, Wilson FG, Wilson JM. The effects of potentiating stimuli intensity under varying rest periods on vertical jump performance and power. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 Dec;26(12):3320-5. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318270fc56.
• McCann MR, Flanagan SP. The effects of exercise selection and rest interval on postactivation potentiation of vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 May;24(5):1285-91. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181d6867c.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 14, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 25, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): April 25, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 6, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): January 16, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 4, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 1, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: sport performance; vertical jump; power; post-activation potentiation; back squat; Wingate test
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00002860

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: All of the individual participant data collected during the trial, after deidentification.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Available 3 months following publication of findings, no end date (link to be provided)
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Researchers wishing to access the data
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No