Power-Force-Velocity Profiling as a Function of Used Loads and Task Experience

Purpose: To evaluate cohort-specific reliability and concurrent validity of 3 different vertical power-force-velocity (P-F-v) profiles to determine force, velocity, maximal power, and the slope of the force-velocity relationship using squat jumps. Methods: Fifteen male sport students and 15 elite ski jumping athletes (male = 11; female = 4) conducted 2 block-randomized test-retest sessions with 5-point-method or 2-point-method loading conditions. A third P-F-v profile was established by excluding the data point most declining the coefficient of determination (r(2)) of the 5-point method. Results: Acceptable absolute and relative reliability were found across methods in ski jumping athletes (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] >=.79, coefficient of variation [CV] <= 6.2%). However, force values were significantly lower in the retest (<= 2.1%, d <= 0.75). In contrast, no systematic differences (P >= .461), but unacceptable absolute and relative reliability, were found in sport students (ICC >=.63, CV 14.8%). The P-F-v parameters of the different collecting and evaluating approaches yielded high to excellent correlations (ski jumping athletes: r >= .64; sport students: r >=.61), but maximal power (<= 4.6%) and velocity (<6.2%,) values of sport students revealed significant differences. Conclusion: The similarity of P-F-v testing and basic ski jumping training daily exercises seems to be more significant to obtain reliable force-velocity parameters than the methodological approach. Accordingly, P-F-v profiles seem to be reliable with the proposed methods only in highly task-experienced athletes but not in less task-experienced cohorts like sport students.