1University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Effects of post-activation potentiation and post-activation performance enhancement on vertical jump performance: a systematic review
Monten. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2027, 16(1), 3-9 | DOI: 10.26773/mjssm.270306
Abstract
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) and post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) are acute performance-enhancing responses following conditioning activity and have been widely investigated as strategies for improving explosive movements. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to examine the effects of PAP/PAPE-related conditioning protocols on vertical jump performance and to identify protocols that most effectively enhance jump height. A systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed and PubMed Central databases. Randomized controlled trials, crossover trials, and controlled experimental studies published in English that investigated acute changes in vertical jump performance following PAP/PAPE-inducing protocols in healthy participants were included. Twelve studies involving a total of 267 participants met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies reported significant or meaningful improvements in vertical jump performance following at least one PAP/PAPE protocol. The magnitude and timing of performance enhancement were influenced by the type of conditioning activity, recovery interval, and participants’ strength and training status. Greater improvements were generally observed in stronger and resistance-trained individuals, while heavy-resistance, plyometric, eccentric-overload, and flywheel-based protocols all demonstrated the potential to enhance jump performance. Recovery intervals ranging from approximately 2 to 12 minutes appeared to provide the most favourable balance between fatigue and potentiation. Overall, the findings suggest that PAP/PAPE-related conditioning can be an effective strategy for acutely enhancing vertical jump performance when conditioning activities and recovery periods are appropriately individualized. However, considerable inter-individual variability exists, highlighting the importance of selecting protocols according to athlete characteristics and performance demands.
Keywords
post-activation potentiation, post-activation performance enhancement, vertical jump, countermovement jump, warm-up
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