title: Improvement of Long-Jump Performance During Competition Using a Plyometric Exercise.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the acute effects of a conditioning plyometric exercise on long-jump performance during a simulated long-jump competition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight national-level track and field decathletes performed 6 long-jump attempts with a full approach run separated by 10-min recoveries. In the experimental condition subjects performed 3 rebound vertical jumps with maximal effort 3 min before the last 5 attempts, while the 1st attempt served as baseline. In the control condition the participants performed 6 long jumps without executing the conditioning exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with baseline, long-jump performance progressively increased only in the experimental condition, from 3.0%, or 17.5 cm, in the 3rd attempt (P = .046, d = 0.56), to 4.8%, or 28.2 cm, in the 6th attempt (P = .0001, d = 0.84). The improvement in long-jump performance was due to a gradual increase in vertical takeoff velocity from the 3rd (by 8.7%, P = .0001, d = 1.82) to the 6th jump (by 17.7%, P = .0001, d = 4.38). Horizontal-approach velocity, takeoff duration, and horizontal velocity at takeoff were similar at all long-jump attempts in both conditions (P = .80, P = .36, and P = .15, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-jump performance progressively improved during a simulated competition when a plyometric conditioning exercise was executed 3 min before each attempt. This improvement was due to a progressive increase in vertical velocity of takeoff, while there was no effect on the horizontal velocity.
authors.forename: Gregory C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Bogdanis
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsoukos
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veligekas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000379:methods*; D059385:Plyometric Exercise; D014142:Track and Field / Q000502:physiology*; D063996:Warm-Up Exercise / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: horizontal jumps; postactivation potentiation; takeoff velocity