Post-Activation Potentiation

Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) is a physiological phenomenon where a muscle's strength and power output temporarily increase following a prior contraction or activity. Essentially, after doing a heavy lift or an explosive movement, your muscles are activated and become more responsive. This enhanced state can improve subsequent athletic performance, such as jumping or sprinting, for a short period. Athletes may use this technique to maximize their performance during training or competitions by strategically warming up with heavy loads to prime their muscles for explosive efforts.