Effects of single flywheel training session on countermovement jump height loss 

Pablo Asencio1, Fernando García-Aguilar1, Miguel López-Fernández1, Alejandro Oliver-López1, 2, Daniel Cerdán-Guzmán1 y Rafael Sabido1 

1Miguel Hernández University. Department of Sports Sciences. 2European University of Madrid. Department of Sports Sciences. Faculty of Medicine, Health and Sports. 

Introduction 

Flywheel resistance training (FRT) employ a rotating inertial mass to store and release energy, producing higher stimulous in the eccentric phase of the movement (1). Traditionally, countermovement jump (CMJ) has been used like an neuromuscular performance marker and a fatigue indicator (2). Besides that FRT programming has been a trending topic last years, the effect of different FRT sessions on fatigue has not been studied. The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of single FRT session with 0.08 kg·m² or 0.12 kg·m² in CMJ height loss. 

Key words 

Flywheel resistance training; Eccentric training;  Fatigue;  Countermovement jump 

Sources of funding: This research and its authorship were made possible through financial support provided by Grant PID2022-139600NB-I00. 

Methods 

The study enrolled thirteen physically active male and female with at least six months of experience in resistance training. The sample was divided in two groups: 0.08 kg·m² (n = 7; age = 21.9 ± 2.0 years; height = 1.76 ± 0.05 m; body mass = 70.1 ± 13.4 kg; 1-RM = 96.2 ± 30.1 kg; 1-RM/body mass ratio = 1.35 ± 0.23) and 0.12 kg·m² (n = 6; age = 24.0 ± 6.0 years; height = 1.77 ± 0.04 m; body mass = 73.6 ± 7.8 kg; 1-RM = 106.1 ± 25.6 kg; 1-RM/body mass ratio = 1.43 ± 0.22). Each FRT session consisted in 3×6 sets of squat and 2×6 sets of horizontal lunge (one set for each leg) performed in conical pulley (Versa-Pulley, Costa Mesa, CA) with two minutes resting. CMJ testing were performed during five diferent time points (pre-test, post-test, 24, 48 and 72 hours). A repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted to examine differences between groups in CMJ height across five time points. 

Results 

No significant within-group changes in CMJ height were observed across the five time points (p > .05). The initial jump height level had a strong influence on performance outcomes (p < .001), whereas no between-group differences were found (p = .785). Post-hoc comparisons confirmed the absence of statistically significant differences either between groups or over time. 

Conclusions 

Although the CMJ performance showed slight variation over the time points, these fluctuations were not statistically meaningful. The strong effect of the jump height level suggests that individual variability plays a dominant role in performance outcomes. Based on current evidence highlighting the sensitivity of neuromuscular fatigue markers (1) and the utility of flywheel training strategies in athletic contexts (2), further research with larger samples may be necessary to detect potential group-specific effects. 

References 

Asencio P, Moreno FJ, Hernández-Davó JL, Sabido R. Effects of variable intensity and constant intensity flywheel resistance training programs on specific soccer players’ performance. Front Physiol. 2024;15:1375438. 

Sánchez-Medina L, González-Badillo JJ. Velocity loss as an indicator of neuromuscular fatigue during resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(9):1725–34. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213f880