Effect of post-activation potentiation on performance according to circadian rhythm in young athletes

Factors affecting sports performance are of significant importance, with warming up being paramount among them. Recently, post-activation potentiation (PAP) exercises have been considered to enhance performance as alternatives to static and dynamic stretching, and they have been the subject of numerous studies. Additionally, circadian rhythms are noted to cause changes in performance. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of PAP according to circadian rhythm on performance in young athletes. Fourteen voluntary young male athletes (aged 14-16) participated in the study. Using a crossover design, participants underwent control and PAP (Half-Squat) interventions at different time periods (morning, noon, evening), followed by measurements of specified performances (vertical jump, standing long jump, 5–10-meter sprint, and T agility test). Data analysis utilized SPSS 22.0 software, employing two-way repeated measures ANOVA to evaluate between-group and within-group changes. Statistical significance was accepted at p<0.05. According to the analyses conducted, statistically significant changes were not observed in the variables of standing long jump and vertical jump (p>0.05). However, for 5–10-meter sprint performance, there was a significant difference based on the time of day of the interventions (p<0.05). Regarding agility performance, there was no significant difference across interventions (p>0.05), but variations were noted based on the time of day (p<0.05). As a result, it can be seen that PAP application is not highly effective on certain variables in young athletes and does not vary significantly over time. It can be said that PAP notably improves sprint performance, particularly in the evening. Additionally, agility performance appears to be influenced by the time of day as well.