Effects of Ethnicity on the Relationship Between Vertical Jump and Maximal Power on a Cycle Ergometer

The aim of this study was to verify the impact of ethnicity on the maximal power-vertical jump relationship. Thirty-one healthy males, sixteen Caucasian (age: 26.3 +/- 3.5 years; body height: 179.1 +/- 5.5 cm; body mass: 78.1 +/- 9.8 kg) and fifteen Afro-Caribbean (age: 24.4 +/- 2.6 years; body height: 178.9 +/- 5.5 cm; body mass: 77.1 +/- 10.3 kg) completed three sessions during which vertical jump height and maximal power of lower limbs were measured. The results showed that the values of vertical jump height and maximal power were higher for Afro-Caribbean participants (62.92 +/- 6.7 cm and 14.70 +/- 1.75 W.kg(-1)) than for Caucasian ones (52.92 +/- 4.4 cm and 12.75 +/- 1.36 W.kg(-1)). Moreover, very high reliability indices were obtained on vertical jump (e.g. 0.95 < ICC < 0.98) and maximal power performance (e.g. 0.75 < ICC < 0.97). However, multiple linear regression analysis showed that, for a given value of maximal power, the Afro-Caribbean participants jumped 8 cm higher than the Caucasians. Together, these results confirmed that ethnicity impacted the maximal power-vertical jump relationship over three sessions. In the current context of cultural diversity, the use of vertical jump performance as a predictor of muscular power should be considered with caution when dealing with populations of different ethnic origins.