1/ Are acute performance enhancements a result of post-activation potentiation (PAP)? Depends on your definition. "Classic" PAP has a muscle-based mechanism allowing optimum cross-bridge mechanics. In fast-twitch fibres it's necessary for forceful contractions when...
2/ activation is submaximal (it can't improve peak force), and for maximal RFD. Remember, it's not 'additive' but 'necessary'. And it's quick/easy to evoke - it's probably the commonest operating state of fast-twitch fibres and doesn't require more than brief warm-up to evoke.
3/ So if you provide a brief warm-up in clinic/sports, you won't need additional conditioning activities. It's quick to generate (within seconds) but also quick to reverse (half-life ~28 s), so performance enhancements seen minutes after activity cannot be explained by PAP.
4/ More importantly, based on current evidence, it appears to have a very small effect relative to other effects of warm-up (e.g. skill practice, muscle temperature) in complex human movements. So in studies reporting enhancement after funky conditioning activities, what are...
5/ we seeing? Most likely a temperature effect (muscle water may also contribute). But that doesn't mean that doing something 'funky' won't enhance performance above standard warm-up, although that's rarely shown in scientific literature. Our job is to find out how to do that...
6/ and I look forward to seeing studies showing improvements greater than 'full, task-specific warm-up' alone. For an historical overview and review of mechanisms of both "classic" PAP and general performance enhancement, you might read this: frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…
7/ But don't take my word for it (we should never take one person's word!), but also consider these:
link.springer.com/article/10.100…
nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.113…
nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/h2…
link.springer.com/article/10.100…
nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.113…
nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/h2…
