title: Short-term landing training attenuates landing impact and improves jump height in landing-to-jump movement.
abstract: Landing technique is an important factor influencing jump performance in landing-to-jump (L-J) movement. This study examined the effects of short-term landing training on jump performance in L-J. We hypothesized that landing training without jumping decreases landing impact and increases jump height in L-J. Twenty healthy adult men were randomly assigned to the control (CG: n = 10) or the training (TG: n = 10) group. The TG performed a 2-week landing training (3 times per week, 6 sessions) that aims to decrease impact force. Before and after the training period, both groups performed landing and L-J from a 35-cm height and also squat jumps (SJs). Ground reaction forces and kinematic data were obtained during the landing, L-J, and SJ. The CG showed no significant changes in all measured variables. In the TG, the peak vertical ground reaction force up to 100 mseconds after ground contact in L-J, expressed relative to body mass, significantly decreased (pre: 3.04 [0.77] vs. post: 2.35 [0.37], p < 0.01), and the L-J height significantly increased (pre: 47.2 [5.6] cm vs. post: 48.2 [5.5] cm, p < 0.05) without gain in SJ height. Furthermore, the TG showed significant gains (p < 0.01) in hip joint power during the propulsive phase. The current results support our hypothesis and indicate that short-term landing training improves the technique for absorbing landing impact and increasing L-J height. The increased L-J height may be a result of an increase in power generation around the hip joint.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences (Sports Sciences), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. youshi73@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanehisa
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Kimitaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D059385:Plyometric Exercise; D013997:Time Factors; D019415:Torque