Can Post Activation Potentiation Acutely Improve Power? - Terry Hutchings

The ability to develop high muscular strength and power has been identified as an essential component for success in many individual and team sports, thus numerous coaches have implemented training methods to enhance power and ultimately improve performance quality. In addition to these training methods, individuals have also turned to ergogenic aids, for example: creatine, and in extreme cases Illegal substances, for example: anabolic steroids. Although influential on performance, a new phenomenon has emerged, Post Activation Potentiation. Post Activation Potentiation has been seen as being influential on acutely improving power output, thus being highly beneficial for Individual sports which require jumping or bounding movements. Consequently, this could enable faster running times and jumping distances, which is sought after by most athletes competing in events. Although beneficial, results have varied significantly. This text tries to provides answers on how influential Post Activation Potentiation can be on power output, by taking a keen interest on the optimal recoveries used between pre conditioned exercise and power exercise.