Comparison of Power, Velocity and Force Parameters during Loaded Squat Jump Exercise in the Handball and Arm Wrestling Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare power, velocity and force parameters during loaded squat jump (SJ) exercise in the handball and arm wrestling players. In accordance with this purpose, ten arm wrestling athletes from the Turkish National Team (age: 20,7 ± 3,05 years; height: 175,2 ± 5,55 cm; weight: 71,7 ± 8,17 kg) who had ranks in competitions at World and Europe Am Wrestling Championships and ten handball players (age: 23,0 ± 4,00 years; height: 182,3 ± 6,06 cm; weight: 77,8 ± 11,3 kg) who competed at Turkish handball 1^st league participated voluntarily in this study. Subjects were performed loaded SJ exercise using a load equals to 40 % of their body weight and obtained the power, velocity and force values using an isoinertial measurement system (T-Force Dynamic Measurement System). For data analysis, descriptive statistic and Mann Whitney - U analyses were used. According to analysis results, there was a statistically significant difference between jump velocity during loaded SJ of handball players and arm wrestling athletes (p < 0.05). Accordingly, arm wrestling athletes have better jump velocity than handball players in terms of mean velocity (MV) and peak velocity (PV). In addition, it was obtained that there wasn’t a statistically significant difference between handball and arm wrestling players in terms of mean force (MF), mean propulsive force (MPF), peak force (PF), peak power (PP), mean propulsive power (MPP), mean power (MP), time and moving distance to barbell bar during loaded SJ (p > 0.05). Consequently, jump ability is a crucial performance indicator in many sports that require explosive actions and the lower-body muscular power. However, it is not a true approach that athletes competing at sport branches which jump ability is an important performance indicator can display a better performance during loaded SJ.