From choosing exercises to planning training sessions, athletes and coaches are constantly looking for ways to maximize performance. One of the most studied areas is how to improve speed and strength in sprinting (running speed), especially in sports like soccer. Recently, a study published in *The European Journal of Sport Science* explored the acute effects of two popular exercises—the hip thrust or sled pull and the glute bridge—on sprint performance and the horizontal force-velocity profile in soccer players.
PAP and PAPE Concepts in Sports
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a phenomenon that immediately enhances explosive performance after a preload activity, such as sprinting. This effect depends on factors such as muscle fiber type, fitness level, and the characteristics of the conditioning activity (CA), including its intensity, duration, and volume. However, literature differentiates between PAP, which is based on short-term physiological mechanisms, and post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), which is attributed to more lasting effects such as increased muscle temperature and intracellular fluid accumulation. The latter term is more suitable for studies focused on performance improvement.
The Relevance of PAPE in Sports Training
PAPE has been applied in various sports to enhance parameters such as vertical jump, bench press strength, and, in this case, sprinting, through conditioning activities like squats, power cleans, plyometrics, and specific exercises like the hip thrust. The hip thrust is particularly effective for working hip extensors, such as the gluteus maximus, and is useful in activities with horizontal force vectors, like sprinting. Additionally, variations such as the glute bridge have been developed, which also use a horizontal vector but with biomechanical differences in torso positioning, affecting muscle activation. While the hip thrust activates the vastus lateralis more, the glute bridge focuses on the gluteus medius and maximus, making it particularly relevant for the acceleration phase in sprinting.
Since both the hip thrust and the glute bridge use horizontal force vectors but generate different muscle activations, exploring their effects with different loads could provide valuable insights for designing personalized training programs adapted to each athlete’s neuromuscular needs.
How Was the Study Conducted?
The study, titled ”The acute effects of hip thrust and glute bridge exercises with different loads on sprint performance and horizontal force-velocity profile in adolescent soccer players: a post-activation performance enhancement approach”, examined the acute effects of PAPE with different loads (84% and 60%) and exercises such as the hip thrust and glute bridge on sprint performance and components of the horizontal force-velocity profile in soccer players.
A total of 40 soccer players with experience in general and strength training were included. The players were randomly assigned to three groups: hip thrust group, glute bridge group, and control group. Sprint tests at 10, 20, and 30 meters were performed before and after the PAPE protocols, with a 7-minute rest period.
Key Results
The study showed that PAPE protocols using hip thrust and glute bridge exercises with 84% and 60% of 1-RM loads generated moderate or small effects on components of the horizontal force-velocity profile, as well as sprint performance at 10m, 20m, and 30m. Since sprinting relies more on horizontal rather than vertical force, both exercises influenced performance, supporting the effective use of moderate loads in optimizing sprint performance in sports like soccer.
This approach broadens the understanding of muscle conditioning methods and suggests that the glute bridge can be an effective alternative to the hip thrust for improving both acceleration and kinetic properties of sprinting. Although both exercises share a horizontal force vector, their differences in muscle activation suggest they could have complementary effects on sprint performance. However, research on the glute bridge remains limited, and further studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness in this context.
The main innovation of this study lies in the inclusion of the glute bridge as a tool to induce PAPE effects in players, differing from previous research that has primarily focused on the hip thrust. Additionally, it highlights the importance of selecting exercises based on the sport’s specific biomechanics, offering more personalized training strategies.
Impact of PAPE on Sprinting
The study also found that PAPE protocols had a moderate impact on relative maximum strength, relative maximum power, and the force-velocity slope, while the effect on theoretical maximum speed and maximum reactive force was small. These findings align with previous research emphasizing the importance of horizontal force for acceleration and sprint performance. Additionally, it was observed that horizontally oriented exercises, such as the hip thrust and glute bridge, promote force application in the necessary direction for the acceleration phase, which could explain the improvements observed in the force-velocity profile components.
Final Implications
The choice between the hip thrust and the glute bridge depends on the specific needs of the athlete and the sport in question. However, this study highlights the importance of considering both exercises as valuable tools in the pursuit of better performance. These findings underscore the need for continued research and adaptation of training strategies to maximize athletes’ potential.
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