Effects of Drop Jump During Warm-up on Athletic Performance and Ankle Stability in Young Basketball Players

Effects of Drop Jump During Warm-up on Jumping Ability, Sprint Performance and Ankle Landing Stability: A Randomized Controlled Study

Youth basketball is a sport that requires high levels of power and speed. Regardless of the competitive level, young athletes undergo rigorous training to enhance their coordination, neuromuscular reactivity, jump height, and sprint speed. Each youth basketball player voluntarily underwent testing at the same sports facility after reading and signing the informed consent document (provided by parents or legal guardians). During the first session, general anthropometric information was collected on all participants (age, weight, and height), followed by an assessment of athletic performance and stability parameters. For the vertical jump performance parameters, the Counter Movement Jump test (CMJ) was used through an optical detecting system. A pressure platform was used to measure ankle stability during the landing phase using a single-leg jump protocol, while acceleration performance was evaluated via a 10-meter sprint test. Subsequently, participants were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). The EG performed a Drop Jump protocol at the end of warm-up, consisting of three sets of 5 repetitions, with a 3-minute rest period between sets, for a total duration of 8 weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, all measurements regarding the evaluated outcomes (vertical jump height, CMJ, landing ankle stability, and 10-meter sprint) were repeated for both groups.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Performance; Athletes
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Drop Jump

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Palermo
    • Palermo, Palermo, Italy, 90144
      • University of Palermo

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Active participation in competitive training programs (at least 7 hours per week), at least one year of experience in competitions organized by the Italian Basketball Federation, and no recent injuries.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of current or not fully recovered injuries to the ankle or foot, and irregular participation in training sessions within the three weeks preceding the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Drop Jump (DJ); The participants performed a multi-phase warm-up and then completed 3 sets of 5 repetitions of drop jumps with a 3-minute rest period, twice a week for a total of 8 weeks.	Other: Drop Jump; Three sets, each consisting of 5 repetitions with 3-minute breaks between sets, to be performed twice a week. During each DJ trial, the participants were asked to perform a maximum vertical jump with their hands at their sides as soon as possible after touching the ground. They were also given 15 seconds to climb back onto the drop and perform another trial.
No Intervention: Control Group (CG); The participants followed the same full warm-up protocol as the experimental group, with the exception of the drop jump

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Counter Movement Jump (CMJ)	Initially, the athlete stands upright on a flat surface or force platform, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips (to eliminate arm swing). Without a pause, the athlete performs a quick downward movement (countermovement) by bending the knees and hips, then immediately jumps vertically as high as possible. The athlete lands in an upright position on the same spot, trying to absorb the impact with knees slightly bent. Jump height and flight time is recorded using an optical system, Optojump™ system(Microgate, Bolzano, Italy) connected to a personal computer with dedicated software(OptojumpTM Next software). The system consists of two optical bars, a receiver and a transmitter, positioned 1m apart. The bars identify ground contact time(with a precision of 1ms) and then convert non-contact time into cm. Based on recommendations on optimal jump height (20 to 60cm).	At the beginning of enrollment ( Baseline, T0) and the end of the 8-week treatment (T1)
Ankle Landing Stability	Ankle stability was assessed using a functional monopodalic protocol, which involved four jumps on one foot: two per leg, both frontally and laterally. These jumps were performed by stepping over an adjustable obstacle set at 70% of the maximum height reached on a pressure platform (SensorMedica freeMed 40×40, Guidonia Montecelio, Italy). The platform has an active sensory surface of 40×40 cm with a thickness of only 8 mm and a low weight of approximately 4 kg. Inside, there are resistive sensors coated in 24K gold on conductive rubber, with a density of approximately 10,000 sensors/m².The acquisition frequency is high, up to 400 Hz, allowing for detailed dynamic analysis, and the sensors have a life cycle of over 1,000,000 cycles of use	At the beginning of enrollment ( Baseline, T0) and the end of the 8-week treatment (T1)
Sprint Performance	Two cones were placed 10 meters apart. The participants were then asked to perform 3 sprints, with 3-minute recovery periods in between. A manual stopwatch was used, which was started exactly when the operator gave the start signal and stopped exactly as the subject passed the second cone.	At the beginning of enrollment ( Baseline, T0) and the end of the 8-week treatment (T1)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Palermo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 2, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 27, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 27, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 17, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 17, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Warm-Up; Basketball Players; Ankle Stability
• Other Study ID Numbers: 62141-2025-3

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No