Can pacing be regulated by post-activation potentiation? Insights from a self-paced 30 km trial in half-marathon runners

DEL ROSSO, SEBASTIAN; BARROS, EDILBERTO; TONELLO, LAÍS; OLIVEIRA-SILVA, IRANSÉ; BEHM, DAVID G.; FOSTER, CARL; BOULLOSA, DANIEL A.

PLOS ONE

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2016 vol. 11 p. 1 - 16

1932-6203

Purpose: Given the co-existence of post-activation potentiation (PAP) and fatigue within muscle, it is not known whether PAP could influence performance and pacing during distance running by moderating fatigue. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of PAP on pacing, jumping and other physiological measures during a self-paced 30 km trial. Methods: Eleven male endurance-trained runners (half-marathon runners) volunteered to participate in this study. Runners participated in a multi-stage 30 km trial. Before the trial started, determination of baseline blood lactate (bLa) and countermovement jump (CMJ) height was performed. The self-paced 30 km trial consisted of 6 × 5 km splits. At the end of each 5 km split (60 s break), data on time to complete the split, CMJ height, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and blood lactate were collected while heart rate was continuously monitored. Results: There was a significant decrease in speed (e.g. positive pacing strategy after the 4th split, p