@Article{Zeng2026,
journal="Biology of Sport",
issn="0860-021X",
year="2026",
title="Morning priming exercises for explosive performance: time course effects of two-way ballistic and strength-based protocols",
abstract="To	examine	the	effects	of	low-	and	high-intensity	two-way	ballistic	(TWB)	priming	exercise	versus high-intensity	traditional	strength	exercise	(TSE)	on	explosive	performance	at	6 h and	24 h post-intervention.	Twenty-eight	well-trained	male	athletes	completed	four	randomized	morning	sessions	(08:00–11:00)	in	separate	weeks:	30%	1RM	TWB,	80%	1RM	TWB,	80%	1RM	TSE,	and	control.	Each	priming	protocol	comprised	three	sets	of	six	repetitions	with	4-min	rest	intervals.	Explosive	performance	was	assessed	via	countermovement	jump	(CMJ),	five	consecutive	CMJs,	and	standing	broad	jump,	measured	pre-intervention,	and	at	6 h and	24 h post.	After	6 h,	all	exercise	conditions	(excluding	control)	significantly	improved	CMJ	height	(30%	1RM	TWB:	6.4	±	5.0%,	d = 1.31;	80%	1RM	TWB:	7.4	±	3.1%,	d = 2.49;	80%	1RM	TSE:	3.5	±	4.2%,	d = 0.83;	all	p < 0.01)	and	relative	peak	power	(3.5	±	1.8%,	d = 1.87;	4.8	±	1.8%,	d = 2.83;	3.2	±	2.1%,	d = 1.53;	all	p < 0.01).	Across	conditions,	average	height	across	consecutive	CMJs	increased,	with	improvements	of	6.7	±	3.5%	(d	=	1.96),	7.6	±	6.6%	(d = 1.18),	and	4.2	±	2.7%	(d = 1.53)	for	30%	1RM	TWB,	80%	1RM	TWB,	and	80%	1RM	TSE,	respectively	(all	p < 0.01).	Similar	patterns	were	observed	for	reactive	strength	index-modified	(12.4	±	12.1%,	d = 0.95;	9.4	±	11.7%,	d = 0.79;	9.4	±	14.1%,	d = 0.71;	all	p < 0.01),	and	standing	broad	jump	distance	(1.9	±	1.2%,	d = 1.52;	2.4	±	1.6%,	d = 1.52;	1.1	±	1.5%,	d = 0.72;	all	p   0.05).	Both	high-intensity	protocols	(TWB	and	TSE)	maintained	improvements,	with	the	TWB	protocol	yielding	the	most	consistent	benefits,	particularly	in	CMJ	and	CCMJ	measures.	Morning	TWB	priming	at	both	low	and	high	intensities	enhances	explosive	performance	within	6 h,	making	it	a viable	delayed	potentiation	strategy	for	sports	with	afternoon	or	evening	competition.	High-intensity	TWB	sustains	benefits	up	to	24 h,	indicating	greater	suitability	for	high-intensity	or	competitive	settings	requiring	prolonged	performance	 readiness.",
author="Zeng, Yiheng
and Wu, Tao
and Lin, Junlei
and Li, Wei
and Gastin, Paul
and Girard, Olivier",
pages="815--827",
doi="10.5114/biolsport.2026.158671",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.158671"
}