Acute Effects of Different Conditioning Activities on the Post-Activation Performance Enhancement in Athletes’ Jumping and Sprinting Performances: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis assessed the impact of three induction methods on athletes’ jump and sprint performances. Experimental research on the acute effects of exercise intervention on the Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE) of jumping and sprinting performances in athletes was searched using the Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase databases. The meta-analysis results show that, when employing resistance exercises as Conditioning Activities (CAs) for enhancing jumping performance, there are statistically significant differences in favor of utilizing resistance exercises as CAs (Hedges’s g = 0.2, 0.2, and 0.23; 95%Cl: (0.05, 0.34), (0.02, 0.39), and (0.05, 0.41); p < 0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were detected when plyometric exercises or mixed exercises were compared pre-intervention (p > 0.05). In terms of sprint performance, when employing resistance exercises as CAs, the effect sizes were −0.11, −0.44, and −0.32, respectively. Their corresponding 95%Cls were (−0.22, 0.00), (−0.63, 0.25), and (−0.50, −0.13), with all p-values < 0.05, indicating statistically significant differences favoring the utilization of resistance exercises as CAs. However, no significant differences were noted when comparing plyometric or mixed exercises to pre-intervention (p > 0.05). In conclusion, compared with plyometric exercises and mixed exercises, resistance exercises had a more significant effect on athletes’ jumping and sprinting performances.