Priming Using Contrast Training Exercise

Effects of Morning Contrast Training Exercise on the Afternoon Priming of Judoka's Athletic and Sport-specific Performance

This study investigated the effects of a morning complex-contrast training session on afternoon sport-specific and physical performance in competitive judokas. The study focused on identifying whether a stimulus targeting both force and velocity components of the force-velocity curve could induce a "delayed potentiation" effect 6 hours later and whether these responses differed by sex.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Athletic Performance
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Morning Complex-Contrast Training; Behavioral: Time-Matched Walking Control Condition

Detailed Description

A randomized, counterbalanced crossover design was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of a morning priming protocol (using complex-contrast training exercises) compared to a control condition. Competitive male and female judo athletes performed a low-volume, high-intensity priming session consisting of heavy resistance and ballistic exercises in a set-by-set fashion. Physical performance was assessed using the Special Judo Fitness Test, handgrip strength, and countermovement jump height. Results were analyzed to determine the fatigue-potentiation balance over a 6-hour recovery window and to examine sex-based interactions in the priming response.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Poland
  • Silesian Voivodeship
    • Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland, 40-065
      • Academy of Physical Education in Katowice

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age between 18 and 22 years;
• competitive male or female judo athlete;
• minimum of 3 years of experience in structured judo training;
• previous experience with and technical proficiency in resistance and ballistic training exercises;
• ability to correctly perform the back squat, bench press, countermovement jump, and wall ball slam;
• technical proficiency in performing the Ippon Seoi-Nage throwing technique; previous experience with the Special Judo Fitness Test;
• absence of musculoskeletal injuries or medical conditions that would restrict participation in maximal physical exercise;
• ability to complete both experimental conditions and all required performance assessments;
• provision of written informed consent before participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• less than 3 years of structured judo training experience;
• insufficient technical proficiency in the back squat, bench press, countermovement jump, or wall ball slam;
• inability to correctly perform the Ippon Seoi-Nage technique;
• no previous experience with the Special Judo Fitness Test;
• current musculoskeletal pain or injury that could affect resistance exercise, jumping, handgrip assessment, or judo-specific performance;
• presence of a medical condition that could restrict maximal physical effort or - make participation in the intervention unsafe;
• inability to complete either experimental condition or the required testing procedures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Complex-Contrast Training Priming Condition; Participants performed a morning complex-contrast training (CCT) session designed to induce a delayed priming effect on afternoon judo-specific and neuromuscular performance. The session consisted of lower- and upper-body contrast exercise pairs combining heavy resistance exercises with biomechanically related ballistic exercises. Following the intervention, participants completed a 6-hour passive recovery period before the afternoon performance assessment.	Behavioral: Morning Complex-Contrast Training; At approximately 9:00 AM, participants completed a standardized warm-up consisting of a 10-minute self-paced jog followed by dynamic stretching. Baseline countermovement jump and maximum isometric handgrip strength measurements were subsequently performed. The CCT intervention consisted of: 3 lower-body contrast sets, with 6 repetitions of the back squat paired with 6 maximal countermovement jumps; 3 upper-body contrast sets, with 6 repetitions of the bench press paired with 6 maximal wall ball slams. After completing the morning session, participants underwent a 6-hour passive recovery period. At approximately 3:00 PM, they repeated the standardized warm-up and completed the countermovement jump, maximum isometric handgrip strength, and Special Judo Fitness Test assessments.
Active Comparator: Time-Matched Walking Control Condition; Participants completed the same standardized morning warm-up and baseline measurements as in the experimental condition. Following the baseline measurements, participants walked for a period corresponding to the duration of the complex-contrast training protocol. No resistance or ballistic exercises were performed. After the walking period, participants underwent a 6-hour recovery interval before completing the afternoon performance assessments.	Behavioral: Time-Matched Walking Control Condition; At approximately 9:00 AM, participants completed a standardized warm-up consisting of a 10-minute self-paced jog followed by dynamic stretching. Baseline countermovement jump and maximum isometric handgrip strength measurements were then performed. Following the baseline measurements, participants walked for the duration required to complete the CCT protocol in the experimental condition. After the 6-hour recovery interval, participants returned at approximately 3:00 PM, repeated the standardized warm-up, and completed the countermovement jump, maximum isometric handgrip strength, and Special Judo Fitness Test assessments.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Special Judo Fitness Test Index	Judo-specific performance efficiency assessed using the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT). The test consisted of three work periods: one 15-second period followed by two 30-second periods, separated by 10-second recovery intervals. During each period, the participant moved between two partners positioned 3 meters apart and performed the Ippon Seoi-Nage throwing technique as many times as possible. Heart rate was measured immediately after the test and 1 minute after test completion using a chest strap-based heart rate monitor. The SJFT index was calculated using the total number of completed throws and the heart rate values recorded immediately and 1 minute after the test. A lower SJFT index represents better judo-specific performance efficiency.	Approximately 6 hours post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total Number of Throws During the Special Judo Fitness Test	The total number of successfully completed Ippon Seoi-Nage throws during all three periods of the Special Judo Fitness Test. The result was calculated as the sum of throws completed during the 15-second period and the two 30-second periods. A higher number of throws indicates better judo-specific performance.	Approximately 6 hours post-intervention
Number of Throws During Individual Special Judo Fitness Test Periods	The number of successfully completed Ippon Seoi-Nage throws was recorded separately during each of the three SJFT periods: Set 1: 15 seconds; Set 2: 30 seconds; Set 3: 30 seconds. The work periods were separated by 10-second recovery intervals. Results were reported as the number of completed throws in each set.	Approximately 6 hours post-intervention
Left-Hand Maximum Isometric Handgrip Strength	Maximum isometric handgrip strength of the left hand measured using a handheld Jamar dynamometer (Lafayette, California, USA). Participants were seated upright with their feet flat on the floor, the upper arm positioned close to the torso, the elbow flexed to 90°, and the wrist maintained in a neutral position. During each trial, participants exerted maximal force against the dynamometer for 5 seconds. Attempts were alternated between the left and right hands, with a 1-minute recovery interval between trials. Handgrip strength was reported in kilograms (kg).	Baseline and approximately 6 hours post-intervention
Right-Hand Maximum Isometric Handgrip Strength	Maximum isometric handgrip strength of the right hand measured using a handheld Jamar dynamometer (Lafayette, California, USA). Participants were seated upright with their feet flat on the floor, the upper arm positioned close to the torso, the elbow flexed to 90°, and the wrist maintained in a neutral position. During each trial, participants exerted maximal force against the dynamometer for 5 seconds. Attempts were alternated between the left and right hands, with a 1-minute recovery interval between trials. Handgrip strength was reported in kilograms (kg).	Baseline and approximately 6 hours post-intervention
Countermovement Jump Height	Vertical jump height measured during a countermovement jump using a portable force platform sampling at 2000 Hz. Participants performed three maximal-effort countermovement jumps with their hands positioned on their hips and were allowed to use a self-selected countermovement depth. A 1-minute recovery interval was provided between trials. Jump height was reported in centimeters (cm).	Baseline and approximately 6 hours post-intervention
Heart Rate Immediately After the Special Judo Fitness Test	Heart rate measured immediately following completion of the Special Judo Fitness Test using a chest strap-based heart rate monitor. Heart rate was reported in beats per minute (bpm).	Immediately after the Special Judo Fitness Test performed approximately 6 hours post-intervention
Heart Rate One Minute After the Special Judo Fitness Test	Heart rate measured 1 minute following completion of the Special Judo Fitness Test using a chest strap-based heart rate monitor. Heart rate was reported in beats per minute (bpm).	One minute after the Special Judo Fitness Test performed approximately 6 hours post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jakub Jarosz, PhD, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Pereira LA, Zmijewski P, Golas A, Kotula K, McGuigan MR, Loturco I. Priming Exercises and Their Potential Impact on Speed and Power Performance: A Narrative Review. J Hum Kinet. 2025 Jun 25;98:153-168. doi: 10.5114/jhk/204371. eCollection 2025 Jul.
• Thapa RK, Weldon A, Freitas TT, Boullosa D, Afonso J, Granacher U, Ramirez-Campillo R. What do we Know about Complex-Contrast Training? A Systematic Scoping Review. Sports Med Open. 2024 Sep 27;10(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s40798-024-00771-z.
• Gepfert M, Terbalyan A, Helbin J, Thapa RK, Stastny P, Krzysztofik M, Jarosz J. Priming magnitude and retention in highly trained male volleyball players are unaffected by exercise type, muscle temperature, or viscoelasticity. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2026 Apr 25;18(1):270. doi: 10.1186/s13102-026-01705-w.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 4, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): August 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 10, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 4, 2026
• Last Verified: August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: muscle strength; resistance training; martial arts; plyometric exercise; athletic performance; human physical conditioning
• Other Study ID Numbers: RRU/SPES/IRB/2025-26/16

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data will be shared upon reasonable request after publication of the study results. Requests should be directed to the corresponding author.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Individual participant data and supporting documents will be available beginning 3 months after publication of the study results and ending 5 years following publication.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Researchers may request access to de-identified individual participant data by contacting the corresponding author. Data will be shared upon reasonable request for scientific research purposes.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

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