External Attention Focus Enhances Standing Long Jump Performance by Modulating Muscle Dynamics Compared With Internal Focus

Different attentional focus strategies are commonly employed in sports training, with the external focus of attention (EF) strategy shown to enhance performance in the standing long jump. However, the underlying muscular dynamics responsible for this improvement remain unclear. In this study, we utilized a Latin square design to recruit 12 healthy male participants, each undergoing standing long jump testing under EF, internal focus (IF), and control conditions. During the take-off phase, we synchronously recorded kinematic and dynamic data. Inverse dynamics calculations were performed on the dynamic and kinematic data. Compared with IF and control, the EF condition exhibited longer jump distances, lower projection angles, and higher peak horizontal take-off velocities and impulses alongside increased center of mass displacement during the eccentric phase and decreased center of mass displacement during the concentric phase (p < .05). The peak muscle force and rate of muscle force development of the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and gluteus maximus during the take-off phase were also higher in the EF group (p < .05). These results indicate that the EF strategy optimizes standing long jump mechanics by enhancing the efficiency of eccentric muscle contractions, thereby increasing stored elastic potential energy in the muscles. Consequently, this leads to greater muscle force and rate of muscle force development during the concentric phase, ultimately resulting in increased jump distances.