Strength and Performance Conditioning
Overview
Our strength & performance conditioning focus area is intricately linked with our undergraduate Sport Science and Performance Programming (BS) and graduate Strength and Conditioning (MS) degrees here at ASU. Led by Dr Lamont, also the Program Coordinator for the MS degree, the central aim is focused around the integration of research into practice, with many applied projects focused on performance enhancement, training efficacy and improving training outcomes. Additionally, we have a strong teaching and learning focus on first principles around data capture and reliability, as well as testing validity and specificity of training.
Current Projects
Post Activation Potentiation (PAP) and Post Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE)
Post activation potentiation (PAP) is a phenomenon where a muscle's performance temporarily improves following a high-intensity contraction. This improvement is thought to be mechanistically related to increased muscle fiber recruitment and neural activation. Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) leverages this effect to enhance subsequent athletic performance, such as sprinting or jumping, by strategically timing exercises to induce PAP before the main activity. For over a decade, we have been exploring comparative protocols looking at PAP and PAPE, and recently begun to focus on counter movement and squat jumps in recreationally trained and Collegiate athletes.
Linear and Angular Characteristics of Punching in Boxers and MMA athletes
With the rise of combat sports comes opportunity for research and employment, both a strong focus within the IHPL. Currently, we have been developing a series of applied projects involving the biomechanical assessment of force/velocity characteristics during linear and angular punching. Specifically, we’re interested in the interplay between anthropometric and performance characteristics on predicting punch peak impact force and impulse. Additionally, we are investigating various sport specific exercises to target key strength and power profiles in combat sport males and females.
Testing Validity & Reliability
The importance of data reliability and testing validity is unquestioned. In the IHPL, we have a strong emphasis imbedded not only in the lab but also throughout the degree programs. A number of projects integrated within the teaching and learning space are centrally aimed at assessing the validity and reliability of varying cut off points to calculate vertical impulse during static and counter movement vertical jumps in recreationally trained and Collegiate athletes, as well as the use of position specific isometric testing on dual force plates to predict dynamic 1RM performance in recreationally resistance trained individuals and Collegiate athletes.
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and exercise tolerance
Since early 2010, investigations exploring the efficacy of introducing ischemic preconditioning (IPC) for the purpose of improving exercise performance have been widespread. Yet despite consistent evidence supporting IPC-mediated systemic, humoral and neural changes, exercise performance outcomes in humans remain equivocal. In part, this may be a reflection of the limited mechanistic understanding of the influence IPC has across multiple, integrated physiologic systems coupled with the broad, heterogenous human populations and task demands (e.g., isometric strength, exercise capacity, time trial performance) within many investigations. We have a long-standing and robust line of research exploring the mechanistic and functional outcomes of introducing IPC in various athletic and performance-based contexts. Most recently, we have been investigating the efficacy in athletes affected by spinal cord injury (SCI).
Relevant Publications, Conferences & Media
Publications
Lamont, H.S., Cramer, J.T., Bemben, D.A., Shehab, R.L., Anderson, M.A., Bemben, M.G. Effects of a 6-week periodized squat training with or without whole-body vibration upon short-term adaptations in squat strength and body composition. J Strength Cond Res. 25(7): 1839-1848, 2011 (doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e7ffad).
Lamont, H.S., Cramer, J.T., Bemben, D.A., Shehab, R.L., Anderson, M.A., Bemben, M.G. Effects of a 6-week periodized squat training program with or without whole-body vibration on jump height and power output following acute vibration exposure. J Strength Cond Res. 23(8):2317-25, 2009. (doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b3e1dc).
MacDonald, C.J., Lamont, H.S., Garner, J.C., Jackson, K. A comparison of the effects of six weeks of traditional resistance training, plyometric training, and complex training on measures of power Journal of Trainology. 2, (2): 13-18, 2013. (doi: 10.17338/trainology.2.2_13).
Rixon, K.P., Lamont, H.S., Bemben, M.G., Influence of type of muscle contraction, gender, and lifting experience on postactivation potentiation performance. J Strength Cond Res. 21(2): 500-505, 2007 (doi: 10.1519/R-18855.1).
Halley, S.L., Marshall, P.W., Siegler, J.C. The effect of ischaemic preconditioning and changing inspired O2 fractions on neuromuscular function during intense exercise. J Appl Physiol. 127(6): 1688-1697, 2019 (doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00539.2019).
Harter, R.A., Dirks, R.P., Leddon, C.E. (2009). Differences in lower extremity anthropometric and strength measures in high school male and female athletes. Med Sci Sport Exer, 41(5 Supplement), S-63.
Leddon, C.E., Dirks, R.P., Harter, R.A. (2009). The influence of leg dominance and quadriceps dominance on vertical ground reaction forces in adolescent female and male athletes. J Athl Train, 44(2 Supplement), S-10.
Conference Presentations
2023 Exploring the use of ischemic preconditioning prior to exercise after spinal cord injury: a pilot; American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (poster).
2023 Comparison of four different movement thresholds when evaluating counter movement vertical jump performance; NSCA National Conference, Las Vegas, NV (poster).
2022 Comparison of four different movement thresholds when evaluating counter movement vertical jump performance; ETSU International Coaches and Sports Science Conference, Johnson City, TN (poster).
2021 The effect of heavy squats and foam rolling on vertical jump performance; Southeast ACSM (virtual).
2019 Using automated step wise linear regression to predict right-handed punch peak impact force using select force and velocity characteristics; ETSU International Coaches and Sports Science Conference, Johnson City, TN (poster).
2018 Relationships between punching impact force and select anthropometric measurements; ETSU International Coaches and Sports Science Conference, Johnson City, TN (poster).
2018 Relationship between three right-handed punch styles’ impact force, and select force, and velocity characteristics; ETSU International Coaches and Sports Science Conference, Johnson City, TN (poster).
Media
2009 Best of Vibration Plate Training; Super Human Radio Podcast: http://www.superhumanradio.com/super-human-radio-show/561-best-of-vibration-plate-training.html
2020 Post-Activation Potentiation; Tea with Doc G and Coach C: https://teawithdrg.libsyn.com/postactivation-potentiation