Effects of Conditioning Activities in Female Athletes (PAPE)
Effect of Conditioning Activities on Neuromuscular Performance in Female Invasion Sports Athletes
This study will investigate how different warm-up strategies affect physical performance in female athletes who practice invasion sports (e.g., soccer, handball, and basketball). Participants will complete three different conditions: a standard warm-up only, a warm-up followed by a performance-enhancing activity, and a warm-up followed by a low-intensity activity designed to simulate the same expectations without real physiological effects.
After each condition, athletes will perform tests of vertical jump performance and change-of-direction speed. In addition, participants will report their perceived effort, expectations, muscle soreness, and recovery status.
The study will include eighteen female athletes and will be conducted under controlled conditions, including standardized hydration, recovery, and environmental factors. The design will allow comparison of the physical and psychological effects of the different warm-up strategies on performance.
Study Overview
Status
Intervention / Treatment
Detailed Description
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) refers to the transient improvement in performance following maximal stimuli, attributed to the phosphorylation of the myosin light chain. However, due to its brief and involuntary nature (typically lasting less than 2 minutes, with a half-life of approximately 28 seconds), its practical contribution is limited.
Based on this, other mechanisms such as increased muscle temperature and water content, enhanced motor unit recruitment, and increased neural excitability appear to have greater practical relevance.
Accordingly, the term post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) was proposed to describe performance improvements following maximal or submaximal conditioning activities. Its magnitude may vary according to factors such as sex, strength level, recovery time, training experience, and protocol characteristics.
Despite recent advances, the optimal parameters of conditioning activities to maximize PAPE remain inconclusive, and many studies present methodological limitations, such as lack of randomization, blinding, and familiarization procedures.
Furthermore, there is a need to thoroughly explore the role of participants' expectations, as well as to include placebo or nocebo conditions, as these psychophysiological factors may significantly influence performance outcomes. In this context, assessor blinding is essential to reduce potential bias.
In addition, evidence suggests that women may exhibit a greater PAPE response, although they are underrepresented in the literature, accounting for only a small proportion of studied samples. This may be related to lower fatigability and faster recovery following certain types of muscle actions, which could enhance the response to conditioning activities with less interference from fatigue.
Moreover, evidence regarding the effects of PAPE on change-of-direction performance is still limited. Change-of-direction tasks involve acceleration, deceleration, and rapid directional changes, often in response to dynamic sport-specific demands. Therefore, assessing this ability is essential, as it closely reflects the demands of invasion sports.
There is a lack of studies employing rigorous methodologies that adequately control psychophysiological variables such as expectancy and placebo effects, along with proper blinding of both participants and researchers. Additionally, studies focusing on female athletes remain scarce.
Therefore, this study aims to address these gaps using a randomized crossover experimental design with three conditions: a "real" conditioning activity (standardized warm-up followed by drop jumps), a SHAM condition (standardized warm-up followed by low-intensity exercise at 20% of one-repetition maximum with verbal suggestion and simulated occlusion), and a control condition (standardized warm-up only). The study will compare the effects of these conditions on neuromuscular performance and perceptual responses in female athletes.
Study Type
Enrollment (Estimated)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Contact
- Name: Gustavo Ribeiro da Mota, PhD
- Phone Number: 55 14991021717
- Email: gustavo.mota@uftm.edu.br
Study Contact Backup
- Name: Armando Seno Lourenço Silva, Master´s Student
- Phone Number: 55 17981447702
- Email: armandoseno95@gmail.com
Study Locations
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Minas Gerais
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Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 55
- Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro
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Contact:
- Armando Seno Lourenço Silva, Master´s Student
- Phone Number: 55 17981447702
- Email: armandoseno95@gmail.com
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Contact:
- Armando Seno Lourenço Silva, Master´s Student
- Phone Number: 17981447702
- Email: armandoseno95@gmail.com
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Principal Investigator:
- Gustavo Ribeiro da Mota, PhD
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-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- Female athletes aged 18 to 30 years
- Familiarity with the proposed tests and exercises
- Ability to perform all testing procedures
- Regular participation in invasion team sports (at least two sessions per week) for a minimum of two years
Exclusion Criteria:
- Presence of musculoskeletal injuries that could limit test performance
- Injury occurring during the study period
- Absence for more than seven days between experimental sessions
- Failure to comply with the data collection schedule
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Basic Science
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
- Masking: Double
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
|---|---|
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Experimental: Conditioning Activity
The "real" conditioning activity will consist of one set of six repetitions of drop jumps performed at maximal intensity. The box height will be individually determined during two familiarization sessions to ensure optimal performance and safety. Each repetition will be separated by a 15-second interval. Participants will be instructed to step off the box and, upon ground contact, perform the jump as quickly as possible, emphasizing minimal ground contact time and maximal rebound height. Arm swing will be allowed to ensure maximal performance. |
This study uses a randomized crossover design in which participants complete three conditions (real conditioning activity, SHAM, and control), reducing inter-individual variability.
A key feature is the SHAM condition designed to control for placebo and expectancy effects, combining low-load resistance exercise (20% 1RM), verbal suggestion, and simulated blood flow restriction (15 mmHg), insufficient to induce physiological responses.
All conditions are strictly standardized, including a warm-up, metronome-controlled cadence, fixed rest intervals, and equal total duration.
The conditioning activity (drop jump) is performed at maximal intensity with individualized box height and standardized technique.
The study focuses exclusively on female athletes and includes evaluator blinding, addressing gaps in research and improving control of psychophysiological influences on performance.
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Active Comparator: Control Condition
In the control condition, only the standardized warm-up will be performed.
However, the total duration will be adjusted to match the other conditions, with no additional intervention.
In other words, if the conditioning activity and SHAM conditions last 25 minutes (10 minutes of standardized warm-up + 15 minutes of the conditioning activity itself), in the control condition participants will perform the standardized warm-up repeatedly until reaching 25 minutes.
|
This study uses a randomized crossover design in which participants complete three conditions (real conditioning activity, SHAM, and control), reducing inter-individual variability.
A key feature is the SHAM condition designed to control for placebo and expectancy effects, combining low-load resistance exercise (20% 1RM), verbal suggestion, and simulated blood flow restriction (15 mmHg), insufficient to induce physiological responses.
All conditions are strictly standardized, including a warm-up, metronome-controlled cadence, fixed rest intervals, and equal total duration.
The conditioning activity (drop jump) is performed at maximal intensity with individualized box height and standardized technique.
The study focuses exclusively on female athletes and includes evaluator blinding, addressing gaps in research and improving control of psychophysiological influences on performance.
|
|
Sham Comparator: Sham Condition
The SHAM condition will be performed using the free-weight squat with a load of 20% of 1RM, i.e., a "simulated" conditioning activity insufficient to induce physiological effects. Three sets will be performed, with three-minute intervals between them. During these intervals, pneumatic tourniquets (77 × 21.5 cm) will be placed on the proximal portion of the thighs and inflated to (only) 15 mmHg for 3 minutes (including 30 seconds before and after for placement and removal). Movement cadence will be controlled using a metronome, ensuring that participants perform the movement in synchrony with the auditory signal. The adopted cadence will be 20/20, i.e., 2 seconds for the eccentric phase and 2 seconds for the concentric phase, totaling 4 seconds per repetition. Players will receive verbal suggestion that this technique is expected to improve performance with less fatigue compared to the "heavy" exercise, referring to the "real" conditioning activity condition. |
This study uses a randomized crossover design in which participants complete three conditions (real conditioning activity, SHAM, and control), reducing inter-individual variability.
A key feature is the SHAM condition designed to control for placebo and expectancy effects, combining low-load resistance exercise (20% 1RM), verbal suggestion, and simulated blood flow restriction (15 mmHg), insufficient to induce physiological responses.
All conditions are strictly standardized, including a warm-up, metronome-controlled cadence, fixed rest intervals, and equal total duration.
The conditioning activity (drop jump) is performed at maximal intensity with individualized box height and standardized technique.
The study focuses exclusively on female athletes and includes evaluator blinding, addressing gaps in research and improving control of psychophysiological influences on performance.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Countermovement Jump Height
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) following each experimental condition within the same session.
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Countermovement jump height (cm), assessed under standardized conditions using a contact mat.
Participants will perform three attempts, and the mean value will be used for analysis.
Jumps will be executed with hands on hips to minimize upper-body contribution.
Measurements will be collected at baseline and after each experimental condition to evaluate changes in performance.
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Baseline (pre-intervention) following each experimental condition within the same session.
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Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
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Agility Performance
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and after the countermovement jump assessment (following each experimental condition).
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Agility performance assessed by the 5-10-5 change of direction test (seconds), measured under standardized conditions using photocell timing gates.
Participants will perform three attempts, and the mean time will be used for analysis.
The test consists of sprinting 5 meters to one side, 10 meters to the opposite side, and 5 meters back to the starting point.
Measurements will be collected at baseline and after each experimental condition.
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Baseline (pre-intervention) and after the countermovement jump assessment (following each experimental condition).
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Participant Expectation
Time Frame: Post-intervention (after each condition).
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Participant expectation assessed using a bipolar Visual Analog Scale (-500 to +500), used to quantify perceived effectiveness and potential placebo/nocebo effects.
Participants will rate their expected change in performance following each experimental condition.
Assessments will be conducted immediately after each condition and prior to performance testing.
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Post-intervention (after each condition).
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Collaborators and Investigators
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Gustavo Ribeiro da Mota, PhD, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro
Publications and helpful links
General Publications
- Ramirez-Campillo R, Andrade DC, Izquierdo M. Effects of plyometric training volume and training surface on explosive strength. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Oct;27(10):2714-22. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318280c9e9.
- Xu K, Blazevich AJ, Boullosa D, Ramirez-Campillo R, Yin M, Zhong Y, Tian Y, Finlay M, Byrne PJ, Cuenca-Fernandez F, Wang R. Optimizing Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Athletic Tasks: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis for Prescription Variables and Research Methods. Sports Med. 2025 Apr;55(4):977-1008. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02170-6. Epub 2025 Jan 24.
- Seitz LB, de Villarreal ES, Haff GG. The temporal profile of postactivation potentiation is related to strength level. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Mar;28(3):706-15. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182a73ea3.
- Boullosa D, Beato M, Dello Iacono A, Cuenca-Fernandez F, Doma K, Schumann M, Zagatto AM, Loturco I, Behm DG. A New Taxonomy for Postactivation Potentiation in Sport. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020 Aug 19;15(8):1197-1200. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0350.
- Blazevich AJ, Babault N. Post-activation Potentiation Versus Post-activation Performance Enhancement in Humans: Historical Perspective, Underlying Mechanisms, and Current Issues. Front Physiol. 2019 Nov 1;10:1359. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01359. eCollection 2019.
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Estimated)
Primary Completion (Estimated)
Study Completion (Estimated)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- 7.572.592/2025
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
IPD Plan Description
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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