Mechanistic Drivers of Acute PAPE Responsiveness: Muscle Architecture, Contractile Kinetics, and Excitability in a Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

The goal of this study is to find out if one short set of heavy half-squats can help football players jump higher right away-and to understand what happens inside their muscles and nerves to make that boost happen.

Key questions

* Will performing 2-3 half-squats at 90% of one-rep max give a bigger jump boost than jogging on a treadmill for five minutes?
* After each warm-up, how do muscle speed and stiffness, muscle size and fiber angle, and nerve signals change over the next 12 minutes?
* Does each player's contribution of fast and slow muscle fibers affect how much and how long their jump improves?

Study Plan Researches will invite 44 healthy football players, ages 18-21, who train regularly and meet our health rules. No one will know which warm-up each player does until the end.

Participants will:

* Get baseline tests of jump height, muscle speed and stiffness (using a harmless electrical sensor), muscle size and fiber angle (using ultrasound), and nerve signals (using sticky pads on the skin).
* Be randomly assigned to either:

1. Heavy-squat group: 2-3 half-squats at 90% of their one-rep max
2. Jogging group: easy jog or walk on a treadmill for five minutes
* Repeat all tests right after the warm-up and again at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 minutes to see how jump height and all muscle and nerve measures change over time.
* Have their muscle fiber mix estimated from the first muscle-speed test to see if fiber type explains who gets the biggest jump boost.

All tests are safe, painless, and approved by an ethics board. Players can stop at any time without giving a reason. This study will help athletes and coaches choose the best warm-up to get stronger, faster jumps right before a game or practice.

Conditions

• Neuromuscular Function
• Muscle Activation
• Postactivation Potentiation
• Ultrasonography
• Tensiomyography
• Contraction
• MHC-I

Interventions

OTHER

High-Intensity Half-Squat

Participants in the conditioning arm perform a single set of two to three half-squats with a free-weight barbell set at 90% of their one-rep max (1RM). Each squat is taken down until the thigh is parallel to the floor (knee at \~90°) and then driven upward as explosively as possible.

OTHER

Treadmill running

Participants engaged in a standardized 5-minute treadmill warm-up. Participants were instructed to walk at a moderate, self-selected pace of approximately 7-9 km/h, maintaining an incline of 0%. Heart rate and perceived exertion were monitored to ensure that the activity remained within a light-intensity range (Borg scale: 6-11).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

23 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-02-02

Primary Completion

2025-06-25

Completion

2025-07-25

Countries

• Poland

Study Locations