Rate of force development in vertical jump testing: reliability in combat fighters and physically active men
Countermovement jump. Squat jump. Force time curve. Testing performance.
This study investigated whether the rate of force development (RFD) could be a reliable measure obtained during a countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ) in combat fighters and physically active men. Forty-two adult men from two groups (combat fighters and physically active) performed multiple CMJ and SJ trials across three days, 2-7 days apart. Comparisons were performed between jump type, participant groups, and testing days in a mixed model for repeated measures. Intraclass coefficient of correlation (ICC) and the typical error of measurement (CV%) was reported as measures of reliability. CV% was further compared to the smallest (SWC), moderate (MWC), and large (LWC) worthwhile changes to express the sensibility of the measure to detect changes in RFD performance. We noted that reliability scores were slightly higher in SJ, and it was improved with an additional testing day. The RFD obtained during SJ in physically active presented an acceptable reliable score (ICC of 0.95 and CV% of 7.8%). None of the RFD measures seem to be sensitive enough to detect a small change in RFD performance (i.e., CV% > SWC %), while SJ in physically actives and CMJ in combat fighters on days 2 and 3 seems to be able to detect moderate changes in RFD performance (i.e., CV% ≤ MWC %). This study suggests that RFD is a reliable variable obtained during SJ tests with one familiarization session in physically active men. However, CMJ testing may not be suitable for RFD measurement because it requires > 2 familiarization sessions to reach an acceptable level of reliability. Combat fighters, individuals with theoretically superior exercise backgrounds, reported similar to worse reliability scores than physically individuals, and future studies might consider superior exercise background for RFD testing individuals engaged in resistance exercise.