Effects of Resistance Exercise Timing on Midday Muscle Performance in Athletes

This study investigated whether the timing of a resistance-based post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) intervention performed during the morning influences muscle performance and muscle electrical activity during a standardized midday assessment in trained male athletes. Participants completed a control condition and three PAPE conditions performed at different times during the morning. The PAPE intervention consisted of back squat, kettlebell swing, and barbell hip thrust exercises. In all conditions, muscle performance was assessed between 12:00 and 12:15 using an isokinetic dynamometer, while surface electromyography (sEMG) of the rectus femoris muscle was recorded. The study compared relative peak torque and sEMG spectral power across the different PAPE timing conditions and the control condition.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Neuromuscular Performance Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE)

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Manisa Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Manisa, 45040, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Regularly participating in systematic sport-specific training (minimum training age of 3 years)
Able to comply with pre-testing restrictions (avoidance of intense physical activity for 72 hours and caffeine for 2 hours prior to testing sessions)

Exclusion criteria

Any musculoskeletal, orthopedic, or health condition preventing safe participation in maximal isokinetic exercise testing
Current or recent injury affecting lower-limb strength or performance testing

Treatment and study plan

Resistance-Based PAPE Intervention

Behavioral

The resistance-based PAPE intervention consisted of three exercises performed in the following order: back squat, kettlebell swing, and barbell hip thrust. Participants performed one set of six repetitions at 80% of their individual estimated one-repetition maximum (e1RM) for each exercise, with a 1-minute rest interval between exercises. The intervention was preceded by a 5-minute standardized cycling warm-up at 60 rpm followed by 5 minutes of passive rest. The same PAPE protocol was performed in the T1, T2, and T3 conditions at different times before the standardized midday performance assessment.

Primary outcomes

Relative Peak Torque (RPT)

Time frame: Measured once per condition (control, T1, T2, T3) at a fixed assessment time (12:00-12:15 PM). PAPE was performed 3.5 hours (T1), 1.5 hours (T2), or immediately (T3) before assessment. Each condition was separated by at least 48 hours.

Relative peak torque (RPT) was determined from the highest peak torque value obtained during four maximal knee extension repetitions performed on an isokinetic dynamometer at 60°·s-¹. Peak torque was normalized to body mass and expressed as N·m·kg-¹.
Rectus Femoris sEMG Spectral Power

Time frame: Measured once per condition (control, T1, T2, T3) at a fixed assessment time (12:00-12:15 PM). PAPE was performed 3.5 hours (T1), 1.5 hours (T2), or immediately (T3) before assessment. Each condition was separated by at least 48 hours.

Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the rectus femoris muscle was recorded during the maximal isokinetic knee extension repetitions. Spectral power was calculated from the processed sEMG signal using fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis and expressed as µV²/Hz.

Interested in participating?

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Manisa Celal Bayar University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Time-Course Effect of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement on Midday Peak Torque and Muscle Activation

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Sep 25, 2026
Registry last updated: Sep 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed