Leg-Spring Hysteresis Responses During Drop Jumps Differ Between International-Level Track-And-Field Athletes and Club-Level Multi-Sport Athletes

Leg-spring hysteresis, the mechanical energy dissipated within the force–length loop during ground contact, is a whole-limb, indirect indicator of stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) function. Whether international-level track-and-field and club-level multi-sport athletes differ in hysteresis responses to drop height, and whether hysteresis is associated with jump height, remains unclear. Here, 40 athletes (15 international-level, 25 club-level) performed bilateral (BLJ), dominant-leg (DOM), and non-dominant-leg (NDOM) drop jumps from 0.26 to 0.42 m. Hysteresis and jump height were computed from three-dimensional kinematics (500 Hz) and ground reaction forces. Group × drop-height interactions were significant for hysteresis in all conditions (partial eta-squared, η2p = 0.647, 0.507, 0.466; p < 0.001): international-level athletes became increasingly negative (net active energy contribution) at 0.42 m, whereas club-level athletes became positive (net dissipation). Between-group differences at 0.42 m were large (Cohen’s d = −1.73, DOM; −1.95, NDOM); jump height was also higher in international-level athletes (d = 1.14–1.77). Pooled, hysteresis was associated with jump height (coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.44–0.60), although caliber differences inflate this estimate, and within-group associations were weaker. Hysteresis discriminated reactive-jumping capacity beyond jump height alone; because competitive level was confounded with sport discipline and sex, these differences should not be attributed to caliber per se.