Upper-Body Post-activation Performance Enhancement for Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis and Recommendations for Future Research

Abstract

Background Research on post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is dominated by lower-body conditioning activities/performance test complexes. Despite the contribution of the upper body to many sporting actions, no review on upper-body PAPE currently exists. Objectives The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to provide a synthesis of the available research on the inclusion of upper-body PAPE conditioning activities to improve athletic performance. Methods A review of the literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses guidelines, including a literature search of EBSCOhost, SPORTDiscus, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. A total of 127 studies were identified through database searches, and were assessed against the following criteria: (1) randomised controlled trial or pre-and-post study design; (2) studies explored the effects of prior voluntary muscle activity, and not electrically induced contractions, (3) evidence, or lack thereof, of PAPE was quantified by the monitoring of individual performance to commonly applied physical tests or sport-specific tasks; (4) conditioning activities and performance tests were primarily upper-body; (5) detailed description of a standardised warm-up; and (6) full-text versions of studies could be accessed in English language peer-reviewed journals. Studies were quality assessed for methodological quality via the PEDro scale and ranked accordingly. Results Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were classified into different conditioning activity modes: bench press variations, sport-specific (modified implement throws, swing-specific, cable pulley, elastic resistance, combination) and bodyweight activity. Acute performance enhancement in several movement-specific combinations was found. A meta-analysis revealed that bench press at ≥ 80% one repetition maximum significantly (p = 0.03; ES = 0.31) improves subsequent power output in the ballistic bench throw at 30–40% one repetition maximum, following 8–12 min recovery. Additionally, sport-specific overweight implement throws improved subsequent throwing distance at competition weight by ~ 1.7–8.5%; ES = 0.14–0.33, following 3 min recovery. Sport-specific lighter weighted bat swings and swing-specific isometrics resulted in improved subsequent competition weight bat swing velocities, ranging from ~ 1.3–3.3%; ES = 0.16–0.57. Conclusions This review presents several upper-body movement-specific conditioning activities that could be considered by coaches and practitioners as part of complex or contrast training, or used in pre-competition warm-ups to acutely enhance performance.

Improving Tennis Serve Velocity: Review of Training Methods and Recommendations

“…Specifically in tennis, Terraza-Rebollo and Baiget (49) did not observe any improvements following a nonspecific high-loaded exercise (3 sets of 3 repetitions at 80% 1RM) in the form of a bench press, a half squat, or the combination of both in SV. These results are in line with moderate or low PAPE outcomes after general strength exercises observed previously (21). When analyzing conditioning activities that do not respond directly to a typical complex training layout, results may vary.…”

“…It is suggested that the inclusion of transfer exercises following conventional resistance training tasks may have elicited the benefits of complex training layouts (11). This term is known as the completion of a high-load resistance activity toward enhancing a posterior plyometric or ballistic action (21). Conventionally used in warm-up protocols to achieve enhanced performance in the immediate posterior competition, it may also be an interesting option to induce greater power levels in training and achieve SV improvements in the long-term.…”

“…Conventionally used in warm-up protocols to achieve enhanced performance in the immediate posterior competition, it may also be an interesting option to induce greater power levels in training and achieve SV improvements in the long-term. The rationale behind this phenomenon suggests that increases in muscle temperature, intramuscular fluid accumulation, and the beneficial changes in neural mechanisms elicited by heavy-loaded exercises will evoke a postactivation performance enhancement (PAPE) that could be used for more powerful exertions (21). A delayed window of action is associated with an effective PAPE, which may depend on the initial exercise performed, the subsequent motion, and the individual characteristics of the athlete.…”

Post-Activation Performance Enhancement of Punch Force and Neuromuscular Performance in Amateur Boxing: Toward a More Individualized and “Real-World” Approach

“…The authors stated that this is primarily because of alterations in body temperature, which may stress the importance of the timing and structure of the warm-up, and how this may differ between individuals during competition. The potential for a conditioning activity (CA) to acutely enhance performance in a biomechanically similar athletic task, above and beyond that induced by a typical warm-up via post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), has been the focus of much research (4,15,28,35). Despite the wide-ranging application of PAPE in sport, this may be an underused method in amateur boxing (12); indeed, only 1 previous study has explored the effectiveness of CA's to induce PAPE in boxing-specific performance (14).…”

Swimming Warm-Up and Beyond: Dryland Protocols and Their Related Mechanisms—A Scoping Review

“…However, this strategy seems to be more effective for speed-power athletes (e.g., sprinters and jumpers), while endurance athletes (e.g., marathon runners and triathletes) would probably obtain performance enhancements from submaximal prolonged conditioning activities due to an optimized balance between fatigue and potentiation [31]. Furthermore, recent PAPE research has also shown the effectiveness of various potentiation protocols for the upper body involving submaximal activities such as resisted bands, or ballistic exercises such as throws, plyometrics and swings [32]. Thus, these features could be relevant for a sport as swimming, as the use of very heavy resistance exercises for the upper body may not be as effective to potentiate as for the lower body, possibly due to the lower muscle mass involved and different muscle fiber composition [33,34].…”