The effects of a 6 week post activation potential trainings on roundhouse kick speed

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 6-week Post Activation Potential training applied to kickboxers on roundhouse kick speed. The characteristics of 24 healthy male kickboxers who voluntarily participated in the research are as follows: licensed by the Turkish Kick Boxing Federation, participated in the championships, have a sports age of at least 4 years, ages between 16 and 25, and heights between 160 cm and 185 cm. [Control Group (C.G, n=8, bodyweight: 70.85±5.39 kg; height: 1.78±0.02 m; age: 21.42±3.45 years), Training Group (T.G, n=8, bodyweight: 63.5±9.81 kg; height: 1.73±0.08 m; age: 18.87±2.03 years) and Post Activation Potential Group (PAP, n= 8, bodyweight: 73.87±15.30 kg; height: 1.75±0.08 m; age: 18.12±2.03 years]. In the 6-week study, the PAP group performed 1 repetition of 90% of the maximal (1TM 90%) 3x3 back squat before the main phase of their training three days a week, rested for 8 minutes, kicked the sandbag 40 right - 40 left roundhouse kicks, and continued their training. While T.G. were continuing their kickboxing training three days a week, C.G. didn't do kickbox training. In order to evaluate the effects of the process on roundhouse kick speed, the first measurement at the beginning of the study, the interim measurement at the end of the third week, and the last measurement at the end of the sixth week were made in all three groups by using the Force Data application on the smartphone. In the measurements taken as speed (m/s) at a sample rate of 200 (200hz), the smartphone, which acts as an accelerometer, was fixed on the lateral malleolus bone of the participant's dominant foot and the participant was asked to kick the sandbag in a roundhouse manner. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the differences between the pre-test, mid-test, and post-test, the Bonferroni test was used in the post hoc test to find the source of the differences, and the mixed design ANOVA was used to observe the time x group interaction differences. The significance level was taken as p<0.05. As a result, a continuous increase was observed in average speed (m/s) depending on the time in the TG and PAP groups. A total of 19% increase was observed in the average speed (m/s) of the TG group, and a total increase of 6.57% was observed in the average speed (m/s) of the PAP group. It is seen that the average speed (m/s) of C.G. decreased after the intermediate tests.