The Acute Effects of Pre-Conditioning Activities with a Weighted Vest on Subsequent Linear Sprint and Change of Direction Performance in Physical Education Students

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a post activation potential application response in sprinting and change of direction performance. Fifteen physically active, healthy men (age 23.5±2.0 years, height 175.0±7.6 cm, body weight 72.2±8.5 kg, body fat 15.7±2.9 %) voluntarily participated in this study. Cross sectional research design with a single group (n=15) and repeated tests was used and applicants participated in sprint and pro-agility tests 8 minutes after the pre-conditioning (PC) with weight wests that corresponded 5% and 10% of their body weights in different days without pre-conditioning. For PC, 8 minutes before for each 30m sprint and pro-agility tests, they did a resisted running with a weight vest corresponding 5% and 10% of their body weights. Analysis shows that, sprint after PC activity as resistance running with %5 and %10 of body weight (p<0.05) and agility (p<0.05) data showed statistically significant difference. According to the results of Bonferroni post-hoc correction, 30m sprint test times, which were performed 8 minutes after the PC which includes a 30m sprint with weight vests corresponding to 5% of their body weight, showed an increase from control test times, 4.34±0.23 seconds to 4.40±0.24 seconds respectively. This 0.07 second increase is statistically significant (p<0.05). In our study, PAP effect being observed as negative, might be related with the lower body weight percentages of resisted running exercise which was selected for PAP.