Abstract

Purpose: Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is a strategy used to acutely enhance explosive performance; however, the effectiveness of combining it with blood flow restriction (BFR) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the acute effects of a PAPE protocol based on back squat exercise (90% 1RM) combined with different levels of arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (80% and 100%) on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. Methods: Seven resistance-trained athletes completed a randomized, repeated-measures crossover design across three conditions: (1) without occlusion (WO), (2) 80% AOP, and (3) 100% AOP. The conditioning activity consisted of two sets of two repetitions of the back squat at 90% 1RM. Jump height (HGT), power output (POT), and Reactive Strength Index (RSI) were assessed 5 min post-activation using a contact platform. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOV A. Results: Significant main effects were observed for HGT, POT, and RSI (all p ≤ 0.011). Post hoc comparisons indicated that only the 100% AOP condition differed significantly from WO (p ≤ 0.042); the 80% AOP condition did not differ significantly from either WO or 100% AOP. Effect sizes were large for all variables (ηp² = 0.53 for HGT and RSI; ηp² = 0.61 for POT), with the greatest responses observed in the 100% AOP condition. Conclusions: The incorporation of complete blood flow restriction (100% AOP) into a high-load PAPE protocol (90% 1RM) may enhance acute neuromuscular performance during explosive tasks such as the countermovement jump in resistance-trained athletes, whereas partial occlusion (80% AOP) did not produce a statistically detectable benefit over no occlusion in this sample.

Keywords

post-activation performance enhancement; blood flow restriction; countermovement jump; reactive strength index; resistance training.