The association between reactive strength index and reactive strength index modified with approach jump performance

Abstract

Jumping performance is one of the key components of volleyball game, thus evaluating jumping ability through different biomechanical variables offers opportunity for performance optimization. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between reactive strength index (RSI), reactive strength index modified (RSImod) and approach jump performance in male volleyball players. Forty volleyball players performed drop jump (DJ) form 40 cm high box, bilateral and unilateral countermovement jumps (CMJ) and approach jump. RSI in DJ was calculated as the ratio between jump height and ground contact time, while the RSI in CMJ tasks (RSImod) was calculated as ratio between jump height and jump time. Our results indicate that the relationships among different RSI variants and approach jump in volleyball players are moderate to strong (r = 0.42–0.73), with the highest correlations being observed for RSImod from bilateral CMJ (r = 0.676–0.727). Those observations are in line with the principle of movement specificity, which suggests that the best performance indicator should be the task that best resembles the demands of the sport-specific movements. Further research is needed to reveal more about the potential of implementing these findings for training optimization through monitoring RSI and RSImod values.