Countermovement jump test as a tool for fatigue assessment: a scoping review and evidence gap map

Abstract

The countermovement jump (CMJ) is widely used to monitor post-exercise neuromuscular status; however, differences in exercise loads, testing procedures, and selected variables complicate the interpretation of CMJ responses. This scoping review mapped the available evidence on CMJ responses to exercise-induced fatigue and examined how CMJ variables have been investigated in relation to exercise-load characteristics. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus were searched in June 2025, and a supplementary Google Scholar search was conducted in July 2026. A total of 117 studies involving healthy participants aged 15–35 years were included and categorized as match, match simulation, practice, or laboratory studies. Substantial heterogeneity was identified in CMJ assessment procedures and the reporting of exercise-load components. Contraction mode was reported in only 2.6% of studies, and the method used to select the representative CMJ value was unclear in 39.3%. The evidence was concentrated on jump height and immediate post-exercise assessments, whereas delayed measurements and phase-specific variables were less frequently examined. Following intermittent team-sport exercise, conventional outcome variables, including jump height and peak force, showed variable responses, whereas selected movement-duration variables showed comparatively consistent descriptive response patterns. The available evidence is limited by incomplete reporting and methodological heterogeneity. Standardized CMJ assessment procedures, transparent representative-value selection, and detailed reporting of exercise-load characteristics are required to improve the interpretation and comparability of post-exercise CMJ responses.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Sports Science Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2026 · DOI ↗