Enhancing Agility in Basketball: The Impact of an Individualized Drop Jump-Based Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Protocol

The aim of this research is to examine the acute effect of a jump-based post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) protocol individualized according to reactive strength index (RSI) values on agility performance in male basketball players. In this experimental study, 20 male basketball players (age=22.1±2.1 years; height=190.9±8.7 cm; body mass= 87.7±9.8 kg) voluntarily participated. In the PAPE protocol applied to the participants, the optimal drop jump (DJ) height was defined as the platform height at which the highest value was obtained during the RSI measurement, and each athlete performed the DJ at this height. A pre-test/post-test design was employed across separate visits. Baseline agility performance was assessed during an earlier session using the Lane Agility Test (LAT), while post-test agility measurements were recorded immediately after the DJ-based PAPE intervention during the final visit. For statistical analysis, a paired-samples t-test was used, and the significance level was set at p<0.05. The findings indicate a statistically significant 1.9% improvement in agility time following PAPE (p=0.039; ES=0.288). The study underscores the on-court applicability of individualized PAPE approaches and offers concrete recommendations for acute performance gains prior to training.