Pre-season block periodisation: Hypertrophy and strength-power effects on youth Australian footballer jump profiles

The aim of this study was to monitor changes in vertical jump force-velocity-power (FVP) profiles following hypertrophy (HYP) and combined maximal strength and power (CMSP) training in youth Australian Football athletes. This study implemented a single group, within-subject, non-randomised crossover design, prescribing sequential HYP and CMSP training to improve countermovement jump (CMJ) performance measured with FVP profiles. Twenty-one males (age: 17.2 ± 0.7 years; height: 183.8 ± 6.6 cm; body mass: 76.9 ± 6.2 kg) completed pre-testing, four-week HYP-mesocycle, midpoint-testing, four-week CMSP-mesocycle, and post-testing. The 8-weeks training comprised 2-sessions per week (16 sessions total). Pre-mid-post-testing involved unloaded (bodyweight) and loaded (50 kg) CMJ's on dual-force plates to create FVP profiles using Samozino's method to calculate raw (mean concentric force, velocity, and power) and theoretical (maximal force [F0], maximal velocity [V0], force-velocity relationship slope [Sfv], and maximal peak power [Pmax]) variables. One-way ANOVA assessed changes in all variables. Unloaded and loaded CMJ heights significantly increased after HYP and CMSP-mesocycles (post-testing, p ≤ 0.001), with only loaded CMJ height improving after HYP-training (mid-testing, p = 0.034). There was no change in raw variables after HYP training (mid-testing). However, mean concentric force, velocity, and power significantly increased in unloaded and loaded CMJs following HYP and CMSP-mesocycles (post-testing, p ≤ 0.001). Of the theoretical variables, only F0 significantly improved after HYP training (mid-testing, p = 0.023), yet after HYP and CMSP training, F0 and Pmax were significantly improved (post-testing, p < 0.001). Sequential HYP and CMSP block periodised training significantly improved unloaded and loaded CMJ height, all raw FVP variables, and theoretical F0 and Pmax in youth Australian Footballers.