Effects of flywheel training on post-activation performance enhancement in male basketball players

Abstract Flywheel resistance exercise is used as a conditioning activity for post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), but acute responses to different flywheel inertias remain insufficiently defined in basketball players. This exploratory crossover study examined inertia- and time-specific responses after flywheel half-squat conditioning, with emphasis on distinguishing absolute performance enhancement from control-referenced preservation of performance. Methods Twenty collegiate male basketball players (age 21.95 ± 0.94 years; height 186.28 ± 4.38 cm; body mass 81.51 ± 6.06 kg; basketball training experience 6.95 ± 1.15 years) completed four counterbalanced conditions: control (CON), low inertia (FW-L; 0.025 kg·m²), moderate inertia (FW-M; 0.050 kg·m²), and high inertia (FW-H; 0.075 kg·m²). Performance was assessed at PRE and 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 min after conditioning. CMJ and SJ were the primary outcomes; approach jump, 5-m sprint, 10-m sprint, and 505 change of direction were secondary sport-specific outcomes. IMTP-derived RFD and impulse were retained only as exploratory/descriptive outcomes because reliability was poor. Outcomes were expressed as raw changes and as NetBenefit_vsCON%, defined as the flywheel benefit score minus the matched CON benefit score at the same time point. For sprint and COD outcomes, positive values indicate a more favorable response than CON and do not necessarily indicate faster performance than PRE. Results Responses were small, task-, inertia-, and time-specific. FW-L showed a favorable CMJ response at 12 min (+ 1.88%, 95% CI 0.54 to 3.21; FDR p = 0.030), and FW-H showed a favorable SJ response at 12 min (+ 3.74%, 95% CI 1.34 to 6.15; FDR p = 0.012). FW-M showed more favorable 5-m sprint, 10-m sprint, and 505 COD time courses than CON; however, raw sprint and COD times remained slower than PRE on average, indicating control-referenced attenuation of decrement rather than clear absolute improvement. RFD and impulse were unreliable and were interpreted only descriptively. Flywheel half-squat conditioning may elicit acute, task-specific responses in collegiate male basketball players, but the evidence remains exploratory. The findings support cautious individual verification of inertia and recovery windows rather than firm inertia-specific prescriptions. Larger preregistered, adequately powered crossover studies with raw-scale reporting, transparent data-access procedures, and prespecified primary outcomes are needed.