Ryan E. Ross

Short-duration β-alanine supplementation increases training volume and reduces subjective feelings of fatigue in college football players

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 30 days of beta-alanine supplementation in collegiate football players on anaerobic performance measures. Subjects were randomly divided into a supplement (beta-alanine group [BA], 4.5 g x d(-1) of beta-alanine) or placebo (placebo group [P], 4.5 g x d(-1) of maltodextrin) group. Supplementation began 3 weeks before preseason football training camp and continued for an additional 9 days during camp. Performance measures included a 60-second Wingate anaerobic power test and 3 line drills (200-yd shuttle runs with a 2-minute rest between sprints) assessed on day 1 of training camp. Training logs recorded resistance training volumes, and subjects completed questionnaires on subjective feelings of soreness, fatigue, and practice intensity. No difference was seen in fatigue rate in the line drill, but a trend (P = .07) was observed for a lower fatigue rate for BA compared with P during the Wingate anaerobic power test. A significantly higher training volume was seen for BA in the bench press exercise, and a trend (P = .09) for a greater training volume was seen for all resistance exercise sessions. In addition, subjective feelings of fatigue were significantly lower for BA than P. In conclusion, despite a trend toward lower fatigue rates during 60 seconds of maximal exercise, 3 weeks of beta-alanine supplementation did not result in significant improvements in fatigue rates during high-intensity anaerobic exercise. However, higher training volumes and lower subjective feelings of fatigue in BA indicated that as duration of supplementation continued, the efficacy of beta-alanine supplementation in highly trained athletes became apparent.

Comparison between different off-season resistance training programs in Division III American college football players.

Hoffman, JR, Ratamess, NA, Klatt, M, Faigenbaum, AD, Ross, RE, Tranchina, NM, McCurley, RC, Kang, J, and Kraemer, WJ. Comparison between different off-season resistance training programs in Division III American college football players. J Strength Cond Res 23(1): 11-19, 2009-The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of periodization and to compare different periodization models in resistance trained American football players. Fifty-one experienced resistance trained American football players of an NCAA Division III football team (after 10 weeks of active rest) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups that differed only in the manipulation of the intensity and volume of training during a 15-week off-season resistance training program. Group 1 participated in a nonperiodized (NP) training program, group 2 participated in a traditional periodized linear (PL) training program, and group 3 participated in a planned nonlinear periodized (PNL) training program. Strength and power testing occurred before training (PRE), after 7 weeks of training (MID), and at the end of the training program (POST). Significant increases in maximal (1-repetition maximum [1RM]) squat, 1RM bench press, and vertical jump were observed from PRE to MID for all groups; these increases were still significantly greater at POST; however, no MID to POST changes were seen. Significant PRE to POST improvements in the medicine ball throw (MBT) were seen for PL group only. The results do not provide a clear indication as to the most effective training program for strength and power enhancements in already trained football players. Interestingly, recovery of training-related performances was achieved after only 7 weeks of training, yet further gains were not observed. These data indicate that longer periods of training may be needed after a long-term active recovery period and that active recovery may need to be dramatically shortened to better optimize strength and power in previously trained football players.

Effect of a pre-exercise energy supplement on the acute hormonal response to resistance exercise

The effect of a pre-exercise energy sport drink on the acute hormonal response to resistance exercise was examined in eight experienced resistance trained men. Subjects were randomly provided either a placebo (P: maltodextrin) or the supplement (S: combination of branched chain amino acids, creatine, taurine, caffeine, and glucuronolactone). Subjects performed 6 sets of no more than 10 repetitions of the squat exercise at 75% of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) with 2 minutes of rest between sets. Blood draws occurred at baseline pre-exercise, immediately post- (IP), 15 minutes post- (15P), and 30-minutes post (30P) exercise for measurement of serum growth hormone, total and free testosterone, cortisol, and insulin concentrations. Although significant differences were seen only at set 5, the total number of repetitions and training volume tended (p = 0.08) to be higher with S compared to P. Serum growth hormone and insulin concentrations were significantly higher at 15P and IP, respectively, in S compared to P. Results suggest that a pre-exercise energy S consumed 10 minutes before resistance exercise can enhance acute exercise performance by increasing the number of repetitions performed and the total volume of exercise. The enhanced exercise performance resulted in a significantly greater increase in both growth hormone and insulin concentrations, indicating an augmented anabolic hormone response to this pre-exercise S.

The Effects of Treadmill Sprint Training and Resistance Training on Maximal Running Velocity and Power

Ross, RE, Ratamess, NA, Hoffman, JR, Faigenbaum, AD, Kang, J, and Chilakos, A. The effects of treadmill sprint training and resistance training on maximal running velocity and power. J Strength Cond Res 23(2): 385-394, 2009-The purpose of the present study was to examine the independent and combined effects of resistance and treadmill sprint training on maximal sprint velocity and power. Twenty-five male athletes (age = 19.8 ± 1.5 years, height = 181.2 ± 7.9 cm, body mass = 88.9 ± 10.9 kg) were matched for 30-m sprint times and assigned to 1 of 3 training groups: 1) sprint training only (ST), 2) resistance training only (RT), or 3) combined sprint and resistance training (SRT) for 7 weeks. Periodized resistance training was performed 4 d·wk−1 (3-4 sets of 6-10 repetitions). The treadmill sprint training program was performed 2 d·wk−1 and consisted of 8-12 sets of maximal sprints for 40-60 m at 0-25% of each athletes body mass, with rest intervals of 2-3 minutes on a treadmill that was user driven and that enabled loading via a magnetic braking system. Peak 30-m sprint times, power and average velocity attained during maximal sprint trials on the treadmill, and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) squat were determined pre and post training. The 30-m sprint times improved significantly only in the SRT group, and a trend for improvement (p = 0.06) was observed in the ST group. All groups significantly increased treadmill sprint velocity. However, the SRT and ST groups increased significantly more than RT. Only the SRT group increased treadmill sprint peak power. All training groups increased 1RM squat strength significantly by 6.6-8.4 kg, with no differences observed between groups. The results of this study showed that 7 weeks of sprint training on a newly designed treadmill resulted in significant kinematic and kinetic improvements in sprint performance. Of practical significance, treadmill sprint training enhanced land-based sprint performance.

The Effects of Rest Interval Length on Acute Bench Press Performance: The Influence of Gender and Muscle Strength

Abstract Ratamess, NA, Chiarello, CM, Sacco, AJ, Hoffman, JR, Faigenbaum, AD, Ross, RE, and Kang, J. The effects of rest interval length on acute bench press performance: the influence of gender and muscle strength. J Strength Cond Res 26(7): 1817–1826, 2012. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of rest interval (RI) length on bench press performance in subjects with disparity in maximum strength. Two cohorts of subjects performed 3 bench press protocols in random order consisting of 3 sets of up to 10 repetitions with 75% of 1-repetition maximum (1RM) using either 1-, 2-, or 3-minute RIs between sets. In the first cohort, 22 men and women were studied to investigate gender influence. In the second cohort, 23 men were tested for 1RM bench press strength and placed into a low 1RM (mean = 80.7 ± 7.5 kg) or high 1RM (mean = 140.6 ± 11.9 kg) experimental group. The number of successful repetitions completed, average power, and velocity for each set were recorded. Women performed significantly more repetitions than men with 1-minute (26.9 ± 4.4 vs. 21.1 ± 3.5), 2-minute (29.0 ± 2.0 vs. 24.0 ± 4.5), and 3-minute (29.7 ± 1.8 vs. 25.8 ± 5.1) RIs. The magnitude of decline in average velocity and power was significantly higher in men than in women. Total number of repetitions performed was significantly greater in the low 1RM group than in the high 1RM group at 1-minute (21.6 ± 5.0 vs. 18.1 ± 2.0) and 2-minute RIs (24.2 ± 5.4 vs. 21.3 ± 2.8). Significant negative correlations were observed between 1RM bench press and total number of repetitions completed for 1- and 2-minute RIs (r = −0.558 and −0.490, respectively). These data indicate that maximal strength plays a role in bench press performance with varying RIs and suggest that shorter RIs may suffice in women to attain a specific volume.

Effectiveness of different postactivation potentiation protocols with and without whole body vibration on jumping performance in college athletes.

Abstract Naclerio, F, Faigenbaum, AD, Larumbe-Zabala, E, Ratamess, NA, Kang, J, Friedman, P, and Ross, RE. Effectiveness of different postactivation potentiation protocols with and without whole body vibration on jumping performance in college athletes. J Strength Cond Res 28(1): 232–239, 2014—This study examined the acute effects of different parallel squat postactivation potentiation protocols with and without whole body vibration on jumping performance in college athletes. Fifteen men (20.3 ± 1.3 years, 179.50 ± 5.3 cm, 81.0 ± 10.8 kg) performed 3 repetitions of a countermovement jump (CMJ) and best drop jump after 3 conditions: (a) parallel squat with 80% 1 repetition maximum without vibration (NV-PS), (b) parallel squat with 80% 1 repetition maximum on a whole body vibration platform (WBV-PS) (1.963-mm amplitude and 40 Hz), and (c) control (C). Each condition was performed under both low-volume (LV) (1 set of 3 repetitions) and high-volume (HV) (3 sets of 3 repetitions) protocols that were followed by both 1- and 4-minute rest periods. Significant improvements were observed for the CMJ height (p = 0.005) after 4 minutes of recovery and the LV protocol (p = 0.015) regardless of the condition. Additionally, for the WBV-PS condition, a significantly lower drop jump height was observed after 1 minute (p = 0.0022) after both low (p = 0.022) and HV (0.010) protocols. In conclusion, 4 minutes of recovery was adequate for improving CMJ height after an LV protocol regardless of the condition and restoring drop jump height performance after WBV-PS regardless of the protocol in male college athletes.

Physical performance characteristics in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III champion female lacrosse athletes.

Hoffman, JR, Ratamess, NA, Neese, KL, Ross, RE, Kang, J, Magrelli, JF, and Faigenbaum, AD. Physical performance characteristics in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III champion female lacrosse athletes. JStrength Cond Res 23(5): 1524-1529, 2009-The purpose of this study was to examine performance differences between starters and nonstarters and between different playing positions in collegiate female lacrosse athletes. Twenty-two subjects playing on a two-time defending National Champion National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III female lacrosse team volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were examined during the preseason period and participated in a total of 5 testing sessions, separated by at least 72 hours. Subjects were tested on their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) (bench press and squat), vertical jump, Wingate anaerobic power test (WAnT), 30-second sprint using a nonmotorized treadmill, maximal aerobic capacity, 40-yd sprint, T-drill, and pro-agility test. No significant differences were observed between starters and nonstarters in any performance variable. Anthropometric analysis revealed that attackers were 15.7% (p < 0.05) heavier than midfielders. A significant difference (10.3%) between defenders and midfielders was seen in 1RM squat, while no other strength differences were noted. Attackers were more powerful in the WAnT (both peak and mean power) than both defenders (19.6 and 13.4%, respectively) and midfielders (21.2 and 13.4%, respectively). No significant differences were noted between the groups in any speed or agility measure. Although physical performance characteristics were not different between starters and nonstarters, results indicate that attackers are heavier and more powerful than the other positions and midfielders appear to be weaker in lower-body strength relative to the other positions in lacrosse.

Comparison of the acute metabolic responses to traditional resistance, body-weight, and battling rope exercises.

Abstract Ratamess, NA, Rosenberg, JG, Klei, S, Dougherty, BM, Kang, J, Smith, CR, Ross, RE, and Faigenbaum, AD. Comparison of the acute metabolic responses to traditional resistance, body-weight, and battling rope exercises. J Strength Cond Res 29(1): 47–57, 2015—The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare the acute metabolic responses to resistance exercise protocols comprising free-weight, body-weight, and battling rope (BR) exercises. Ten resistance-trained men (age = 20.6 ± 1.3 years) performed 13 resistance exercise protocols on separate days in random order consisting of only one exercise per session. For free-weight exercise protocols, subjects performed 3 sets of up to 10 repetitions with 75% of their 1 repetition maximum. For the push-up (PU) and push-up on a BOSU ball protocols, subjects performed 3 sets of 20 repetitions. For the burpee and PU with lateral crawl protocols, subjects performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions. For the plank and BR circuit protocols, subjects performed 3 sets of 30-second bouts. A standard 2-minute rest interval (RI) was used in between all sets for each exercise. Data were averaged for the entire protocol including work and RIs. Mean oxygen consumption was significantly greatest during the BR (24.6 ± 2.6 ml·kg−1·min−1) and burpee (22.9 ± 2.1 ml·kg−1·min−1) protocols. For the free-weight exercises, highest mean values were seen in the squat (19.6 ± 1.8 ml·kg−1·min−1), deadlift (18.9 ± 3.0 ml·kg−1·min−1), and lunge (17.3 ± 2.6 ml·kg−1·min−1). No differences were observed between PUs performed on the floor vs. on a BOSU ball. However, adding a lateral crawl to the PU significantly increased mean oxygen consumption (19.5 ± 2.9 ml·kg−1·min−1). The lowest mean value was seen during the plank exercise (7.9 ± 0.7 ml·kg−1·min−1). These data indicate performance of exercises with BRs and a body-weight burpee exercise elicit relatively higher acute metabolic demands than traditional resistance exercises performed with moderately heavy loading.

Acute Oxygen Uptake and Resistance Exercise Performance Using Different Rest Interval Lengths: The Influence of Maximal Aerobic Capacity and Exercise Sequence

Abstract Ratamess, NA, Rosenberg, JG, Kang, J, Sundberg, S, Izer, KA, Levowsky, J, Rzeszutko, C, Ross, RE, and Faigenbaum, AD. Acute oxygen uptake and resistance exercise performance using different rest interval lengths: The influence of maximal aerobic capacity and exercise sequence. J Strength Cond Res 28(7): 1875–1888, 2014—The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between V[Combining Dot Above]O2max and acute resistance exercise performance and the acute metabolic effects of exercise sequencing. Seventeen resistance-trained men were tested for V[Combining Dot Above]O2max and 1 repetition maximum (1RM) strength. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a group that performed the squat first in sequence followed by the bench press (S; n = 8) or a group that performed the bench press first followed by the squat (BP; n = 9). Each group performed 3 protocols (using 1-, 2-, or 3-minute rest intervals [RIs] between sets in random order) consisting of 5 sets of each exercise with 75% of their 1RM for up to 10 repetitions while oxygen consumption was measured. Total repetitions completed were highest with 3-minute RI and lowest with 1-minute RI. Mean V[Combining Dot Above]O2 was significantly highest with 1-minute RI and lowest using 3-minute RI. Analysis of each exercise revealed a tendency (p = 0.07) for mean bench press V[Combining Dot Above]O2 to be higher when it was performed after the squat using 1- and 2-minute RIs. V[Combining Dot Above]O2max was significantly negatively correlated to 1RM bench press and squat (r = −0.79 and −0.60, respectively) and was significantly correlated to squat repetitions (r = 0.43–0.57) but did not correlate to bench press performance. It seems that V[Combining Dot Above]O2max is related to lower-body resistance exercise performance when short RIs are used, and the metabolic response to the bench press is augmented when it follows the squat in sequence using short RIs.

The Effects of Rest Interval Length Manipulation of the First Upper-Body Resistance Exercise in Sequence on Acute Performance of Subsequent Exercises in Men and Women

Abstract Ratamess, NA, Chiarello, CM, Sacco, AJ, Hoffman, JR, Faigenbaum, AD, Ross, RE, and Kang, J. The effects of rest interval length manipulation of the first upper-body resistance exercise in sequence on acute performance of subsequent exercises in men and women. J Strength Cond Res 26(11): 2929–2938, 2012—The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of manipulating rest interval (RI) length of the first upper-body exercise in sequence on subsequent resistance exercise performance. Twenty-two men and women with at least 1 year of resistance training experience performed resistance exercise protocols on 3 occasions in random order. Each protocol consisted of performing 4 barbell upper-body exercises in the same sequence (bench press, incline bench press, shoulder press, and bent-over row) for 3 sets of up to 10 repetitions with 75% of 1 repetition maximum. Bench press RIs were 1, 2, or 3 minutes, whereas other exercises were performed with a standard 2-minute rest interval. The number of repetitions completed, average power, and velocity for each set of each exercise were recorded. Gender differences were observed during the bench press and incline press as women performed significantly (p ⩽ 0.05) more repetitions than men during all RIs. The magnitude of decline in velocity and power over 3 sets of the bench press and incline press was significantly higher in men than women. Manipulation of RI length during the bench press did not affect performance of the remaining exercises in men. However, significantly more repetitions were performed by women during the first set of the incline press using 3-minute rest interval than 1-minute rest interval. In men and women, performance of the incline press and shoulder press was compromised compared with baseline performances. Manipulation of RI length of the first exercise affected performance of only the first set of 1 subsequent exercise in women. All RIs led to comparable levels of fatigue in men, indicating that reductions in load are necessary for subsequent exercises performed in sequence that stress similar agonist muscle groups when 10 repetitions are desired.