The Relationship between Lower Body Power and Sprintng Ability in Recreationally Trained College Men
Abstract
Author's abstract: College aged males who participate in competitive sports at a recreational level have very unique physical skills and abilities that lead them to compete in untraditional sports such as Ultimate Frisbee. This study examine the relationship between jumping ability and sprinting ability among 22 recreationally trained males who participate on a regionally competitive, club level Ultimate team. The subjects' mean (± SD) age, height, weight, body fat percentage and fat free mass were 21.1±2.26 years, 179.88± 6.53 cm, 73.57± 7.38 kg, 11.26 ± 3.92 percent and 63.62± 12.44 kg respectively. To examine the relationship between jumping and sprinting, researchers measured the members of the Ultimate Frisbee team for 40 yard sprint (with a 10 yard split time recorded), standing broad jump (BJ), and vertical jump (VJ). Researchers used the results to calculate acceleration at 10 yards (10A), velocity at 40 yards (40V), horizontal sprinting power at 10 (10HSP) and 40 yards (40P), vertical jump power (VJP), and power relative to body weight (10bw, 40bw, VJbw), and fat free mass(10ffm, 40ffm, VJffm) for both sprinting power and vertical jump power. Testing took place over three days the week prior to the Regional Tournament and all participants signed a university approved IRB informed consent form before any testing was conducted. Pearson Product Correlations were run to examine the relationships between the variables. Level of significance was set to p<0.05. There was a significant negative correlation between BJ and 40 yard sprint time (r=-.436), but there were no significant relationships observed between VJ and 10 and 40 yard sprint or BJ and 10 yard sprint. Significant relationships were observed between VJ and 10P (r=.471), VJP and 10 yard power (r=.823), VJP and 10ffm (r=.499), VJffm and 10ffm (r=.551), BJ and 10P (r=.557), VJ and 40P (r=.493), VJP and 40P (r=.850), and VJffm and 40ffm (r=.598). BJ was related to 40 yard sprint variables in that it correlated with 40V (r=.428), 40P (r=.653), and 40bw (r=.426). The highest correlations were found between measurements of power, so therefore it would be beneficial for recreational athletes to train using methodology that would increase power production in order to better prepare their bodies for vertical jumping, broad jumping and sprinting at distances of 10 and 40 yards. The statistical analysis showed that there is a relationship between jumping ability and sprinting ability in recreationally trained college males, but there is a need for more information pertaining to this relationship among recreational athletes and any physiological information specific to Ultimate Frisbee players.
