(59) NO CHANGES IN VERTICAL JUMP HEIGHT DURING FINAL PEAKING PERIOD PRIOR TO NATIONAL COMPETITION IN MALE COLLEGIATE OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTERS

Purpose: To examine the changes in force plate-derived vertical jump height in male collegiate weightlifters during their peaking period in the final two days prior to a major national competition. Methods: Healthy, college aged males (n = 10; Mean ± SD; Age: 20.1 ± 1.2 years, Body Mass: 94.5 ± 21.0 kg) participated in this investigation. Following a self-selected dynamic warmup and a trial repetition at 50% effort, participants performed three maximal-effort countermovement vertical jumps on force platforms upon waking two days prior to, one day prior to, and the morning of competition. 30 seconds of rest were allotted between each attempt and participants were instructed to keep hands on hips during all trials. Daily peak vertical jump height was collected and compared across days via one-way repeated-measures ANOVA. The threshold of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: No changes in jump height were observed across the three days (p = 0.456). Average jump height was 43.8 ± 6.6 cm across the three days. Conclusions: These results suggest that vertical jump height does not change in the final days of a peaking period prior to competition in this population. However, a longer period of assessment should be conducted in future studies to examine whether these parameters might potentially change across a longer time-course. Practical Applications: The present investigation found that Olympic weightlifters displayed consistent performance in countermovement vertical jump height during the final days prior to competition. If coaches are using countermovement vertical jumps to track readiness and fatigue, it may not be beneficial to take multiple measurements during the final taper for competition as one test likely provides sufficient insight into athlete readiness during this time period. Greater efficiency in the performance assessment process will better help coaches, athletes, and researchers to focus on their success in sport .Acknowledgements: Thanks to head coach Trent Crain and assistant coach Marina Tuono and all the athletes for facilitating the study. Congratulations to the 2025 University National Champion Lindenwood weightlifting team.