Post-tetanic potentiation and its application in training practice

Explosive strength is crucially important in many sports. In training science the effectiveness of different training methods in the area of explosive strength is a subject of debate. Complex training is a training variant in which traditional strength training and plyometric exercises are combined in a single unit in order to achieve a synergistic effect from the two training methods. An essential component for the effectiveness of complex training is post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). The phenomenon of PTP is based on neuromuscular pre-activation triggered by exercises with weights which can lead to a short-term increase in power during the subsequent plyometric exercise. The objectives and questions of this study are to examine the short-term effects of PTP and long-term adaptation to training using PTP. In addition the practical application of PTP in training and before competition is documented.