Higher Eccentric Strength Mitigates Deceleration Performance Decline During Repeated Deceleration Tasks
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Authors
Nakata, Kaito
Uthoff, Aaron
Hirayama, Kuniaki
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Human Kinetics
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between eccentric strength and the ability to maintain deceleration performance following running, (2) investigate changes in deceleration kinematics during repeated deceleration tasks, and (3) explore associations between the changes in lower-limb mechanical capacities during jump tests and deceleration capacity under load. METHODS: Twenty male athletes participated. Maximal eccentric and concentric strength were assessed via back squat protocols. Participants completed the repeated acceleration-deceleration task consisting of 50 repetitions of a 10-m run followed by maximal deceleration with 45-second rest between repetitions. The ability to sustain deceleration performance was quantified as percentage change in deceleration metrics between the averaged first and last 5 repetitions. Several jump tests were performed before and after the repeated acceleration-deceleration task. RESULTS: Paired t-test showed repeated decelerations significantly increased time from peak to half-peak velocity (TT50%VPeak) (+2.55%, P = .014, d = -0.60) and decreased deceleration in this phase (DECEarly) (-3.71%, P = .012, d = -0.62). Correlational analyses revealed that eccentric strength was significantly associated with changes in TT50%VPeak (P < .01, r = -.59) and DECEarly (P = .012, r = .55). Changes in DECEarly were significantly correlated with changes in power during squat jump (P < .05, r = .53). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated deceleration actions impair early-phase deceleration performance; however, greater eccentric strength mitigates this decline. Additionally, the ability to sustain concentric mechanical capacities appears relevant to sustaining deceleration capacity. These findings highlight the importance of eccentric strength in supporting performance under repeated high-load deceleration demands.Description
Keywords
back squat, change-of-direction, fatigue, jump performance, kinematic measure, 4201 Allied Health and Rehabilitation Science, 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 42 Health Sciences, 4207 Sports Science and Exercise, Clinical Research, 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 1116 Medical Physiology, 1701 Psychology, Sport Sciences, 3202 Clinical sciences, 3208 Medical physiology
Source
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, ISSN: 1555-0265 (Print); 1555-0273 (Online), Human Kinetics, 1-8. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2025-0242
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© 2026 The Authors. Published by Human Kinetics, Inc. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted noncommercial and commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the new use includes a link to the license, and any changes are indicated. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0. This license does not cover any third-party material that may appear with permission in the article