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- 🏀 Flywheel Training Improves Jump Performance Basketball Players
🏀 Flywheel Training Improves Jump Performance Basketball Players
PLUS: Improving Athlete Training with Load-Velocity Profiling
Haresh Suppiah
May 12, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
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Hi, sport science enthusiasts.
In today’s edition:
• A Coach’s Guide to Velocity-Based Training
• Eight‐Week Flywheel Training Enhances Jump Performance
• The impact of a school-based physical activity program on children’s fitness
• Effects of cadence on calf raise test outcomes
• Tactics for lumbopelvic stability in baseball pitching
• Evaluating after-school throwing programs for low-income students
and several more…
FEATURED ARTICLES 🌭
Key finding:
Velocity-based training enhances strength and conditioning practices by using load-velocity profiling for more effective training strategies.
How they did it:
Methodology: This review synthesized findings from over two decades of research on load-velocity profiling (LVP), examining various exercises such as the back squat and bench press, and utilizing linear regression models to analyze the relationships between load and velocity data across multiple loads (0-100% of one repetition maximum).
Key Findings: Published studies show near-perfect inverse relationships (R² > 0.9) between load and velocity during resistance exercises, indicating that velocity can be reliably used to predict one repetition maximum (1RM) and effectively adjust training loads based on individual athlete profiles.
Statistical Innovations: The paper suggests employing both linear and quadratic regression models for LVP data; quadratic modeling has been indicated to minimize predictive error (0.60-1.17 kg) compared to traditional linear models when estimating 1RM, especially in free-weight exercises.
Practical Application: Recommendations for coaches include the use of individualized load-velocity profiles to enhance training specificity, incorporating feedback after each repetition to improve data accuracy, and utilizing mean velocity for all exercise modalities when measuring concentric phase performance.
Autoregulation Techniques: The review emphasizes the integration of autoregulation strategies, whereby athletes can self-adjust training loads dynamically based on instantaneous velocity data, promoting optimal performance adaptations and reducing the risk of fatigue-related injuries.
Why it matters:
These findings highlight the significant role of velocity-based training (VBT) in optimizing strength and conditioning programs for athletes. A well-constructed load-velocity profile can provide coaches with insights into an athlete’s strength capabilities, showing near-perfect relationships (r^2 values > 0.9) that support tailored training interventions. This data-driven approach enables more precise adjustments to training loads, enhancing performance while minimizing the risk of injury.
Key finding:
Eight weeks of flywheel training significantly improves jump performance and muscle strength in collegiate basketball players.
How they did it:
Methodology: Twenty male collegiate basketball players (average age 19.8 years) were randomly assigned to either a flywheel (FW) training group (n=11) or a control group (n=9). The FW training group performed squat exercises twice a week for eight weeks using a flywheel device, while both groups underwent traditional resistance training once a week.
Results: The FW training group showed significant improvements post-training: squat jump height increased by 15.1% (p=0.03), drop jump height by 23.2% (p=0.01), and the reactive strength index by 36.8% (p=0.04). Additionally, the FW group exhibited increases in maximal voluntary contraction torque and muscle thickness when compared to pre-training levels.
Innovation: The study employed a novel training technique utilizing a flywheel device that leverages inertia for eccentric overload training, which was shown to enhance lower-body strength and power.
Performance Measures: Both jump and strength performances were quantified using a series of tests including squat jumps, drop jumps, and measurements of maximal voluntary contraction torque, with significant between-group differences indicating the effectiveness of the FW training.
Secondary Outcomes: The FW training resulted in increased muscle thickness of the vastus lateralis by 5.4% and overall quadriceps muscle thickness by 6.7% (both p<0.05), underscoring benefits in muscle hypertrophy alongside performance metrics.
Why it matters:
The findings from this study highlight that an eight-week flywheel training program can significantly enhance jump performance, with improvements of 15.1% in squat jumps and 23.2% in drop jumps among collegiate basketball players. These results provide coaches with a clear strategy to tailor training interventions that boost athletes’ explosive power and overall muscle function during the competitive season, ultimately supporting their performance on the court.
QUICK BITES 🍤
Biomechanics
-Calf raise test outcomes vary significantly by cadence, with 60 beats/min yielding the best results for vertical displacement and work.
-Lumbopelvic stability during single-legged movements can predict elbow torque and ball velocity in baseball pitchers.
-Smaller reflective markers (12 mm) provide more accurate aiming point assessments in shooting compared to larger markers.
-Periacetabular osteotomy alters knee loading patterns in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip, improving bone density distribution.
Female Athlete
-Menstrual phase affects perceptual recovery responses in footballers, with worse recovery reported during menstruation.
Injury
-Leptin impairs tendon-bone healing after rotator cuff repair by promoting inflammatory macrophage polarization.
Neuromuscular Function
-Lower corticospinal excitability after ACL reconstruction leads to recruitment of larger, slower-firing motor units in the quadriceps.
Nutrition
-A repetitive feeding-challenge with fat does not improve or harm gastrointestinal function or exercise performance compared to carbohydrates.
Physical Education and Pedagogy
-A school-based physical activity program leads to lasting improvements in children’s fitness and movement behaviors one year later.
Skill Acquisition
-After-school programs improve overhand throwing skills in low-income students, but do not enhance their perceived motor competence.
-Balance training improves specific tasks but doesn’t necessarily benefit all balance challenges, emphasizing targeted training approaches.
Sport and Society
-Qatar’s 2022 World Cup highlights its struggle to balance tradition with modernity and human rights amid global scrutiny.
Sport Psychology
-Promoting gradual weight loss may enhance psychological resilience and healthier weight management among combat sport athletes.
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Curated by Haresh Suppiah