ArticleScientific reports2026
Comparison of vertical jump performance between the Maasai, track and field athletes, and non-athletes: a cross-sectional study.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The Maasai are known for their unique customs, including dancing, singing, and jumping. The tribe’s traditional jumping rituals, performed by young warriors called ‘Morani,’ demonstrate their strength and skill through repetitive hops, often lasting several hours. These jumps are comparable to the countermovement jumps (CMJ) of elite Western athletes. This study compared different types of jumps (CMJ), squat jump (SJ) and repetitive hops) among three groups: (a) Maasai (n = 30), (b) Slovenian high-jump athletes and sprinters (n = 20), and (c) non-athletes in Slovenia (n = 20). Participants were male, aged 16–35. The My Jump 2 app was used to measure jump height. Results showed that during CMJ, the Maasai averaged 38.1 cm ± 7.3 cm; athletes 52.46 cm ± 9.07 cm; non-athletes 33.72 cm ± 7.22 cm. In the SJ, the Maasai averaged 35.87 cm ± 6.59 cm; athletes 49.74 cm ± 7.3 cm; non-athletes 32.57 cm ± 6.21 cm. For repetitive hops, the Maasai averaged 36.2 cm ± 7.75 cm; athletes 35.93 cm ± 5.98 cm; non-athletes 20.98 cm ± 7.07 cm. Athletes showed higher jump heights in CMJ and SJ compared to the Maasai (p < 0.001, d = 1.28; p < 0.001, d = 2.00) and non-athletes (p < 0.001, d = 2.29; p < 0.001, d = 2.53). However, in repetitive hops, the Maasai performed similarly to athletes (p = 0.991, d = 0.04), while non-athletes had significantly lower results (p < 0.001, d = 2.05). These findings suggest that the Maasai’s cultural practices enhance musculoskeletal adaptation from an early age, emphasizing that proficiency is greatest in regularly practiced tasks, such as repetitive jumps and hops.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.