Strength and speed are great for sports and activities. But power is the vital stat is key to excelling at these endeavors. Power which is work/time, or in physical activity force x velocity dictates what we can do with our explosive movements.
Power can be easily visualized and measured by recording jump height or distance, jumping in sequence, or measuring the height of lift with a plyometric pushup. Take a few measures, create a baseline and repeat to build your potential, and monitor your improvements. Visual analysis is sufficient for most tasks, but the athletic population can greatly benefit from a deeper dive into the numbers behind those efforts.
There are a number of normalized tests that can be performed to assess the way a person recruits’ muscles for explosive movements, how fast they can transition, and how the absorb the forces coming out of the movements. Having a professional such as a PT help you run through the tests that best assess the vital stats for your chosen athletic position, endeavor, or challenge.
The power can be assessed in different ways for different values and useful information abides in all the numbers. But there can be too much of a good thing and again having a PT direct you to where the value lies. Do we care more about the peak or the average? If you’re a high jumper peak all day. If you’re a distance runner the average is more interesting. If I was looking at a team sport like football the absolute power matters, but relative power can help explain why a guy who weighs 40# less can run right through the bigger player.
The most common method of assessing power scientifically is with the Countermovement Jump (CMJ) which helps assess neuromuscular fatigue and assessing movement strategies among other things. The CMJ helps us to visualize the Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC) which is the transition between concentric and eccentric movements that power gains arise from. Jump height can be calculated by the time that the athlete is in the air if visual analysis isn’t available.
As with so many things it’s not just going up those matters, but how you come down as well. A difference side to side of 10 % or more is an indication that a person is already injured, or on their way to becoming injured. If someone has a heavy landing this can indicate that the muscles, they need for deceleration are unable to do their job. Findings like this can guide you PT to the source of your impairments whether they be imbalances, compensation patterns, or something more significant. This lets us bypass the educated guessing as much as possible.
With accurate age and weight information we are able to calculate the Reactive Strength Index (RSI). This metric we can measure how well you brain and muscles are able to communicate with each other. This can be paired with something like changes in jump height and this can reflect the neuromuscular efficiency.
The data is there, so much so that without guidance it can easily become overwhelming. But that same data can reveal the difference between getting injured and setting a new personal record. Working directly with a PT, a movement expert, be the best version of yourself possible. At invoke Therapy and Wellness we combine the art and science of the human body with the best available treatment and technology to push human performance to its highest levels.
