SCIENCE

How Exercise Affects Your Jumping Power

Sun Jul 06 2025

Ever wondered how different types of workouts impact your ability to jump? Researchers have been looking into this, focusing on how your body responds after exercise that's tough on your energy but not on your muscles. They found that after such workouts, your jumping power might not be as affected as you'd think.

What They Studied

They looked at countermovement jumps (CMJ), which is when you bend your knees and then jump up as high as you can. This is a common way to test how well your muscles are working. The researchers wanted to see how CMJ performance changes after exercise that's hard on your energy but doesn't damage your muscles.

They also looked at something called prolonged low-frequency force depression (PLFFD). This is a fancy term for when your muscles don't work as well after exercise, even after they've had time to recover. The researchers wanted to see if PLFFD affects your jumping power.

What They Found

After exercise that's tough on your energy but not on your muscles, your jumping power might not be as affected as you'd think. This is different from what happens after exercise that damages your muscles. In those cases, your jumping power can be significantly reduced.

What This Means for You

It means that not all exercise affects your jumping power in the same way. If you're an athlete or just someone who likes to stay active, it's important to understand how different types of exercise impact your body. This can help you train more effectively and avoid injuries.

questions

    Does this mean that after a long day of sitting at a desk, you can still dunk a basketball like a pro?
    If CMJ performance isn't affected by mechanically demanding exercise, does that mean you can jump just as high after a long meeting?
    If CMJ performance isn't sensitive to PLFFD, does that mean we can blame our bad jumps on the coffee we drank instead?

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