Effects of Task Constraints on Countermovement Jump Kinematics Following a Short-Term Training

Abstract

In previous studies, the acute effects of movement constraints on the countermovement jump performance are investigated; however, the longitudinal effects of implementing the constraint in a training regimen are not well studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of motor learning development due to application of task constraint in a training regimen following 6 weeks of training. Forty-five healthy adult males were randomly assigned to a control or one of two experimental constraint training groups (i.e., no arm swing or restricted knee flexion). Pre- and posttraining jump height and kinematic variables of six maximum effort countermovement jumps were compared longitudinally within the groups, and also compared between the groups. The findings of this study indicated that jump height significantly increased in all the groups while in the unrestricted control group it was increased greater than the experimental conditions (21% compared with 12% and 5.5%). However, the applied task constraints significantly improved some of the contributors to jump performance, establishing specific adaptation of kinematic variables to the constraint training. Therefore, constraint training approach could be suggested in case of demanding specific adaptation of kinematic variables of countermovement jump in a training regimen.