EFFECT OF POST-ACTIVATION POTENTIATION ON KINEMATICS AND KICKING PERFORMANCE IN A ROUNDHOUSE KICK WITH TRAINED MARTIAL ARTS PRACTITIONERS

The purpose of this study was to examine if kicking with elastic resistance (ER) during warming up could initiate Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP), and increase kinematics and performance on subsequent explosive kicking. Five woman and eleven men (n=16) with a background in kickboxing and/or TaeKwonDo performed two warming up strategies with subsequent testing. Kicking performance, defined as kicking velocity with the foot was measured 3D. In addition, muscle activity of the prime movers was measured. Kicking velocity of the foot increased by 3.3% after performing a warming-up strategy including kicking with ER (p=0.009). Increases were also recorded in muscle activity in m. vastus medialis (35.2%, p=0.05), rectus femoris (43.9%, p=0.04). The study show a positive effect on kicking performance after performing a warmup strategy including kicking with ER