AN EXAMINATION OF CHANGES IN UPPER AND LOWER BODY POWER IN ROTC CADETS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine upper and lower body power in Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) cadets over the course of a year. Twenty-three ROTC cadets completed two upper body and two lower body power assessments at three different time periods. The three time periods were April 2010, September 2010, and April 2011. The four assessments were a seated medicine ball throw, a force plate push-up, and a countermovement vertical jump on a force plate while simultaneously touching the highest vane they could reach on a VertecTM placed next to the force plate. No significant changes were found for the medicine ball throw (F = .27, p = .77) or the push-up (F = .38, p = .69). However, significant changes were found for the force plate power output (F = 7.5, p = .004) and Vertec (F = 5.39, p = .013).