Conditioning Research

I like jumps. They are a simple and explosive movement and we have already discussed here how explosive movements are great for developing power and for burning fat through ramping up the metabolism. They are also pretty functional, although I am wondering whether single leg jumps are more useful for everyday life. Anyway, plyometrics are often used to increase performance in the jump - moves in which there is a dynamic prestretch of the muscles involved. There are some examples here And they work. This study demonstrated that plyometric training helped vertical jump performance. This is how you do it: Does plyometric training improve vertical jump height? A meta-analytical review. The aim of this study was to determine the precise effect of plyometric training (PT) on vertical jump height in healthy individuals. Meta-analyses of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effect of PT on four typical vertical jump height tests were carried out: squat jum...

More on "What I am training for...." Again, this one will not change how you train, but it is good to read of how exercise can help to promote brain health. With increasing levels of dementia in people as we survive longer, anything we can do to prevent such deterioration and promote such health is important. As I said in a post a couple of days ago, I am in this for FUN CTION, to keep myself well for the long term. It is the difference that needs to be recognised between fitness and health. Some of this research I am highlighting may seem like it is focussed on elite athletes or sportsmen. But - importantly - there are applications for all of us in keeping healthy and avoiding the major health problems in society - diabetes, heart disease, cancer and overweight. A good diet and the right exercise - in terms of movements, intensity and frequency - are essential. Perhaps an answer to those who asked me on Monday what I was training for is that I am training for old age? Ex...

This reports a study which says that excess weight alone increases the risk of coronary heart disease irrespective of other risk factors. Simply being heavy is a problem....this study suggests that being overweight or obese not only increases traditional heart disease risks but the unhealthy weight is in itself a risk factor Several mechanisms could underlie the independent effect of overweight on coronary heart disease, the researchers said. These include, low-grade inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, hemostatic imbalance favouring coagulation, impaired endothelial vasodilatory responses, left ventricular hypertrophy, and reduced heart rate variability. Furthermore, they said, overweight is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. If you look at these issues they include things that we have addressed in posts in the past on this blog. For example we have mentioned trying to reduce inflammation and interval training is a good strategy to improve heart rate variability. Ho...

We have previously discussed here the advantages of intervals for fat loss and for increasing EPOC . This study says that interval style training is also better for diabetics in terms of glucose management. A possible explanation is that the energy expenditure associated with multiple short daily sessions may be greater than that in a single daily session. This is back to what we have discussed before with respect to EPOC Comparison of the effect of multiple short-duration with single long-duration exercise sessions on glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetes mellitus. AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We evaluated and compared the effects on glycaemic control of two different exercise protocols in elderly men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS : Eighteen patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus carried out home-based bicycle training for 5 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two training programmes at 60% of maximal oxygen uptake: three 10 min sessions per day (3 x 10) or one 30 min ses...

I had a few posts a while back which explained that stretching was good for tight muscles but that done before exercise it could inhibit performance. The posts about explosive moves and vertical jumps made me recall this older study. The lesson is fairly clear from this: if you want to be explosive - e.g. in a sport or a fight, warm up by all means - jog, do easy jumps....but do not do static stretches! For a real big jump.....got to the bottom of this post Effects of running, static stretching and practice jumps on explosive force production and jumping performance. AIM : The interaction between running, stretching and practice jumps during warm-up for jumping tests has not been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of running, static stretching of the leg extensors and practice jumps on explosive force production and jumping performance. METHODS : Sixteen volunteers (13 male and 3 female) participated in five different warm-ups in a randomised or...

I have put up a few posts about explosive moves. Jumps are perfect example. This video is quite inspiring and educational....

OK, the article below is not that interesting, but it is an excuse to post a video of an amazing vertical jump: This study basically says that the vertical jump is a good measure of muscle power which doesn't really depend on body size.... Is vertical jump height a body size-independent measure of muscle power? Markovic G, Jaric S. We tested the hypothesis that the performance of rapid movements represents body size-independent indices of muscle power. Physical education students (n = 159) were tested on various vertical jump (jump height and average power calculated from the ground reaction force) and muscle strength tests. When non-normalized data were used, a principal components analysis revealed a complex and inconsistent structure where jump height and muscle power loaded different components, while muscle strength and power partially overlapped. When the indices of muscle strength and power were properly normalized for body size, a simple and consistent structure of principa...