Combined Methods for Developing the Specific Strength of Women Long Jumpers U18

Background and Study Aim. It is well known that neuromuscular electrostimulation and plyometric exercises positively influence the gain of explosive force in the lower limbs. The combination of plyometric method and electrostimulation begins to gain a positive trend, being included in the modern training of athletes due to the important gain of explosive force. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of combining plyometric and electrostimulation methods in specific training for the development of lower limb muscle strength in long jumpers. Material and Methods. The study was conducted on 15 women's long jump athletes, age category 18 years ± 1,622, with an average weight of 50.80 kg ± 3,932, height of 165.87cm ±3,292 and foot plant of 39.00 ±1,254. The group carried out the experimental training program for a duration of 12 weeks, with means specific to the two methods, three times a week, lasting 60 minutes. It was assessed: horizontal speed on the last 10m of the run up, 1 RM (a maximum rep for a squat); vertical jump; flight time and performance achieved in the competition. The maximum repetition for a squat was tested with the GykoRePower system, the vertical jump was determined with the OptoJump Next system, and the performance in the test was recorded during the competition. The vertical jump, the average value of power used to develop the explosive force and the length of the jump were evaluated. The recorded data on the muscle profile of the subjects were analyzed with the SPSS statistical analysis program. Results. The statistical analysis performed with T-student obtained significant differences between the two tests of the experiment group (p ≤ 0.001): 1RM registers a progress of 10.476 kg with a progress rate of 18.07%, optimal load registers a progress of 3.627 kg with a progress rate of 8.93%, vertical jump achieves a progress of 4.567 cm with a progress rate of 16.09% with a flight time progress of 0.03833 s with a progress rate of 7.39%, and the speed on the last 10 m of run up progresses by 0.5234 s with a progress rate of 6.79%. Subjects recorded a progress for competition performance of 36.467 cm compared to the initial test with a progress rate of 8.50%. Conclusions. The research results are objective arguments that highlight that a specific training based on combining plyometric method with electrostimulation determines significant improvements in the development of explosive force of the lower limbs in long jumps with positive effects on sports performance for long jumpers.