Self-Chosen Rest After Velocity-Loss Squats Matches Best Fixed Recovery for Jump Gains

Fixed recovery intervals are widely used to elicit post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), the short-term boost in explosive performance that can follow a heavy conditioning activity. A new randomized crossover trial suggests that letting athletes choose when they feel ready may work just as well as timing that boost by the clock. The study, published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, examined trained female basketball players performing back squats regulated by a 5% velocity-loss threshold.

Twelve trained female basketball players completed both experimental conditions of the crossover design. In each condition, participants performed two sets of back squats at 85% of their one-repetition maximum, with each set terminated once barbell velocity dropped by 5% from its best value. In the fixed recovery interval (FRI) condition, countermovement jump (CMJ) height was assessed at baseline and again at 10 seconds, 3 minutes, 6 minutes, 9 minutes, and 12 minutes after conditioning. In the self-selected recovery interval (SSRI) condition, jump height was reassessed only when participants reported being fully recovered.

The fixed protocol produced measurable enhancements at several time points. CMJ height increased at 3, 6, and 9 minutes after conditioning, with the greatest group-level improvement observed at 6 minutes, where jump height rose by 6.9% (Hedges’ g = 0.72). The self-selected condition performed comparably: CMJ height increased by 7.7% from baseline (Hedges’ g = 0.80) when athletes jumped after reporting full recovery.

When the two approaches were compared directly, no statistically significant differences emerged between the SSRI response and each athlete’s best individual FRI response. For absolute CMJ height, the mean difference was 0.07 cm (95% CI −0.01 to 0.15 cm, p = 0.091), and for change from baseline the mean difference was 0.09 cm (95% CI −0.20 to 0.38 cm, p = 0.507). In other words, the interval each athlete chose for herself matched the single fixed interval that had produced her largest jump improvement.

The authors conclude that when squat conditioning volume is regulated by the 5% velocity-loss threshold, a self-selected recovery interval significantly enhanced CMJ performance, with no statistically significant difference detected versus each athlete’s best observed fixed-interval response. They suggest that SSRI may offer a practical option for timing post-conditioning jump performance in trained female basketball players, since fixed intervals may not adequately account for inter-individual differences in recovery kinetics. The trial was retrospectively registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2600128505). As with any small crossover study in a single athletic population, the findings are specific to trained female basketball players performing velocity-loss-regulated squats and should not be generalized to other athletes, exercises, or velocity thresholds without further research.

Subject of Research: Self-selected versus fixed recovery intervals for post-activation performance enhancement after velocity-loss-regulated squats in female basketball players

Article Title: Self-selected versus fixed recovery after 5% velocity-loss squats in trained female basketball players: a randomized crossover trial

Article References: Lv, X., Yang, J., Suo, L., Guo, L., Hao, M., Qi, H., & Han, W. (2026). Self-selected versus fixed recovery after 5% velocity-loss squats in trained female basketball players: a randomized crossover trial. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-026-02207-5

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s13102-026-02207-5

Keywords: post-activation performance enhancement, velocity loss, countermovement jump, back squat, recovery interval, female basketball players, randomized crossover trial, resistance training, sports science, PAPE, Self-selected, versus