Efficacy of core stability training on upper extremity performance in collegiate athletes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of a five-week core stability training program for collegiate athletes on upper extremity performance measures. METHODS: Seventy healthy collegiate athletes (age 21.6±1.7years; height 175±4.63 cm; body mass 65.31±5.63 kg) were randomly allocated to experimental (n=35) and control group (n=35). The experimental group has undergone a five-week core stabilisation protocol (three days /week) and regular training, whereas the control group maintained their regular training. The upper quarter Y balance test (UQ-YBT) and Functional throwing performance index (FTPI) were assessed pre and post-training. RESULTS: The results of mixed ANOVA show that there was a significant interaction between time and group variables on YBT (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.759) and FTPI (p<0.001, ηp2 =0.411) after five weeks of core stability training. Statistically, significant improvement was shown in YBT (mean change=15.2, p<0.001) and FTPI (mean change=14.4, p<0.001) in the experimental group; however, there was no significant change observed in both outcomes in the control groups. CONCLUSION: After five weeks of core stabilisation training program, the measures of UQ-YBT and FTPI were improved, thus advocating the use of a core stabilisation training program among collegiate athletes to enhance their upper extremity performance.

Exploring variations in gait patterns and joint motion characteristics in school-aged children across different walking speeds: a comprehensive motion analysis study.

This study aimed to investigate differences in gait patterns among individuals with different walking speeds and identify the range of motion (ROM) and angular velocity for various joints during gait. Forty-five schoolchildren were randomly selected for this study. To capture their walking patterns, two FDR-AX700 4K HDR camcorders were positioned to observe the predetermined walkway. Each participant completed a 5-meter walk at various speeds, including slow, normal, and fast, while maintaining a straight stride. There were significantly higher ROM and angular velocity (p<0.05) at the hip, knee, and ankle joints across most stages of walking at a faster speed compared to slow and normal speeds. At the same time, the angular velocity was significantly higher at the hip joint during hip extension terminal stance at normal speed compared to slow and fast speeds (p<0.05, ƞ2 =0.74). Similarly, the ROM of knee flexion swing, ankle plantar flexion loading response, and ankle dorsiflexion midswing angular velocity were significantly higher during normal walking speed (p<0.05). Conversely, slow-speed walking showed significantly higher ROM at knee extension terminal swing (ƞ2=0.52) and ankle dorsiflexion terminal stance (ƞ2=0.78) (p<0.05). The results indicate that individuals with different walking speeds exhibit significant differences in gait patterns. Slower walking speeds resulted in lower gait velocity and different joint motions compared to faster walking speeds.

Immediate and Long-Term Effectiveness of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation and Static Stretching on Joint Range of Motion, Flexibility, and Electromyographic Activity of Knee Muscles in Older Adults.

Introduction and Objective: Previously, various stretching techniques were compared to study their effects on the different physiological parameters of hamstring muscles in the elderly population. There is no research that compares the immediate and long-term effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation-contract-relax (PNF-CR) and static stretching (SS) techniques on knee range of motion (ROM), hamstring flexibility, and knee flexor muscle EMG activity in the elderly. This study intends to compare the same. Methods: A total of 30 males aged 55-75 years were randomly assigned into the PNF-CR group (n = 10), SS group (n = 10), and control group (n = 10). The PNF-CR group received four trials of the contract-relax technique, the SS group received passive stretching of an 80 s duration by the therapist, and the control group received no intervention. A total of 12 sessions were given during the four-week period. Knee range of motion, electromyographic activity of the biceps femoris, and the sit-and-reach test were taken for the dominant side thrice: pre-intervention, immediately after stretching, and after the training period. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of biceps femoris between the PNF and the control groups (p = 0.01) after four weeks of intervention. The knee ROM and hamstring flexibility for the PNF group showed significant improvement immediately post-test (p = 0.01) and after four weeks of training (p = 0.07 and p = 0.001). SS showed significant results for both ROM and flexibility after four weeks of intervention (p = 0.001), and significant immediate post-test improvements were seen for ROM only (p = 0.007). Conclusions: PNF stretching has an immediate, as well as long-term, effect on knee ROM and hamstring flexibility, whereas it has only a long-term effect on muscle electromyographic activity. SS has an immediate, as well as long-term, effect on knee ROM and only a long-term effect on hamstring flexibility, without any immediate or long-term effects on muscle electromyographic activity.

A systematic review of effects of daytime napping strategies on sports performance in physically active individuals with and without partial-sleep deprivation.

Background: Sleep is the body's natural recovery process, restoring routine metabolic and regulatory functions. Various sleep interventions have been developed to facilitate recovery, and athletic performance, and daytime napping are among them. However, due to inconsistencies in studies, it remains unclear whether daytime napping affects sports performance. This article aims to review the effects of daytime napping on various variables of sports performance in physically active individuals with and without partial-sleep deprivation. Methods: A systematic search in three clinical databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and Web of Science, was conducted. To be included in the current review, the study should be a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the influence of daytime napping on one or more components of sports performance in healthy adults, 18 years old or older. Results: In the accessible data available until December 2021, 1,094 records were found, of which 12 relevant randomized controlled trials were selected for qualitative synthesis. The majority of studies reported favourable effects of daytime napping on sports performance. However, only one study reported no significant impact, possibly due to a different methodological approach and a shorter nap duration. Conclusion: Napping strategies optimize sports performance in physically active, athletic populations, benefitting partially sleep-deprived and well-slept individuals, with longer nap durations (~90 min) having more significant advantages. Daytime naps can be considered as cost-efficient, self-administered methods promoting recovery of body functions.

Analysis of the Anaerobic Power Output, Dynamic Stability, Lower Limb Strength, and Power of Elite Soccer Players Based on Their Field Position.

Soccer players require a high degree of aerobic and anaerobic fitness to perform well throughout the game as per their position in the field. This study aimed to investigate the differences in anaerobic power output, dynamic stability, lower limb strength, and power among elite soccer players based on their field position. A cross-sectional population of 96 elite soccer players with average age 23.10 ± 4.35 years, weight 69.99 ± 9.71 kg, height 174.84 ± 6.64 cm, and body mass index 22.84 ± 2.39 kg/m2 from various soccer clubs in Saudi Arabia was tested for their anaerobic power output, dynamic stability, lower limb strength, and power performance. All the participants have more than 4 years of experience in competitive soccer events. Tests included a measure of single-leg vertical jump, star excursion balance test, and single-leg triple hop test for distance. The players were divided into four groups (goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers) based on their self-reported position on the field. One-way ANOVA was used to determine the differences between all variables according to the players' position. In addition, partial eta-squared (ηp2) was used to report effect sizes. The results revealed significant differences between positions in the anaerobic power output (p = 0.012, ηp2 = 0.312), dynamic stability {Anterior (p = 0.004, ηp2 = 0.235), Anteromedial (p = 0.007, ηp2 = 0.622), Anterolateral (p = 0.011, ηp2 = 0.114)}, and lower limb strength, and power (p = 0.008, ηp2 = 0.421). At the same time, goalkeepers' performance was significantly superior to midfielders (p = 0.006) in the anaerobic power output. In addition, lower limb strength and power was significantly higher (p = 0.004) for goalkeepers than for midfielders, with a similar trend in dynamic stability (p = 0.007). These results exhibited differences in anaerobic power output, dynamic stability, lower limb strength, and power performance based on the players' positions. The investigation may assist the practitioner in designing training programs for the players according to their position for performance improvement.

Patellar Tendinopathy-Does Injection Therapy Have a Role? A Systematic Review of Randomised Control Trials.

Injection treatment is one of the most widely used methods for the conservative management of patellar tendinopathy. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesise data from randomised control trails on the effectiveness of various injections used in the management of patellar tendinopathy. An electronic search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus databases. To be included in the current systematic review, the study had to be an RCT conducted on human participants that investigated the effect of at least one injection treatment on the management of patellar tendinopathy. Selected studies were required to report either patient-reported outcomes or biological and clinical markers of the tendon healing. The methodological quality of the studies was appraised using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs (RoB 2.0). Nine RCTs on seven types of injections were included in this review, with an overall positive outcome. Pain intensity was measured in all the studies. The VISA P score was the most used outcome measure (n = 8). A wide variety of interventions were compared with injection therapy, including eccentric training, extracorporeal shockwave, and arthroscopy. It can be concluded that the injection treatments can produce promising results in the management of patellar tendinopathy. However, because of the limited number of studies and the disparities in the study populations and protocols, it is not possible to make a firm conclusion on the efficacy of these injection methods, and these results should be inferred with care.