Is there a relationship between lower-extremity injuries and foot postures in professional football players? A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity injuries are an ongoing concern for professional football players. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between foot posture and lower extremity injuries in professional football players. METHOD: In this prospective cohort study, 420 male players of the Iran Premium football league were evaluated during the 2015-2016 season. The players were assessed for their foot types based on optical and static foot scans and foot posture index (FPI). The trained club physicians recorded all injuries during the season. RESULT: The analyzed data of 244 players showed the highest rate of lower extremity injury in hamstrings, ankle, and groin, respectively. These injuries led to 46% of time loss. The probability of hamstrings injuries was higher among pronated players based on static, optic, FPI, and visual examination, 2.1, 1.8, 1.8, and 2.3, respectively. Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries were associated with subtalar joint abnormality defined by visual observation. An increased relative risk of leading-to-absence injuries among the flat foot group was significant based on optic scanning, FPI, and visual observation. CONCLUSION: Abnormal foot postures in professional football players may increase the risk of hamstring and MCL injuries and time loss due to lower extremity injuries.

Effects of treadmill training on the balance, functional capacity and quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A randomized clinical trial.

Background There is growing evidence that exercise modalities have considerable effects on Parkinson's disease (PD). This trial aimed to provide a more detailed viewpoint of short-term and long-term treadmill training (TT) effects on some motor and non-motor features of PD. Methods In this prospective, randomized, single-blind clinical trial, 20 mild to moderate PD patients, admitted in Rasoul-e-Akram hospital in Tehran, Iran, were randomly allocated in case (11) and control (9) groups. Treadmill intervention was performed at moderate intensity with 60% of heart rate reserved (HRR) in two 30-min sessions/week for a duration of 10 weeks. Both the groups were evaluated for three times; at the baseline, 2 months later and then 2 months after the second evaluation. We assigned the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 6-min walk test (6MW), and the SF-8 healthy questionnaire, for assessment of balance, functional capacity, and Quality of life (QoL), respectively. Results Balance and functional capacity were significantly improved in the case group after the intervention (TUG p-value: 0.003, 6MW p-value: 0.003). Moreover, the long-term analysis revealed significant results as well (TUG p-value: 0.001, 6MW p-value: 0.004). Mental condition's scores of SF-8 in cases were not statistically different in short-term follow-up (F/U). However, analysis illustrated p-value: 0.016 for long-term assessment. The intervention induced significant changes in physical condition's scores in both of the F/Us (PC p-value: 0.013). Conclusions This study provides evidence that a TT of mild to moderate intensity has significant and persistent benefits for the balance, functional capacity, and QoL in PD.

Upper Limb Neuromuscular Activities and Synergies Comparison between Elite and Nonelite Athletics in Badminton Overhead Forehand Smash.

This study is aimed at comparing muscle activations and synergies in badminton forehand overhead smash (BFOS) between elite and nonelite players to clarify how the central nervous system (CNS) controls neuromuscular synergy and activation to generate complex overhead movements. EMG of five upper limb muscles was recorded through surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes from twenty players. Athletics is divided into two groups: elite and nonelite. Eventually, nonnegative matrix factorization (NNMF) was utilized to the calculated electromyography signals for muscle synergy comparison. Similarities between elite and nonelite groups were calculated by scalar product method. Results presented that three muscles synergies could sufficiently delineate the found electromyography signals for elite and nonelite players. Individual muscle patterns were moderately to highly similar between elite and nonelite groups (between-group similarity range: 0.52 to 0.90). In addition, high similarities between groups were found for the shape of synergy activation coefficients (range: 0.85 to 0.89). These results indicate that the synergistic organization of muscle coordination during badminton forehand overhead smash is not profoundly affected by expertise.

The Effect of Increasing Volume of Exercise on Activation Pattern of Vastus Medialis and Lateralis and its Correlation With Anterior Knee Pain in Karate Elites.

BACKGROUND: The effects of exercise volume on the pattern of muscle activity is one of the most important factors in training management and injury risk reduction. In the lower limb, the quadriceps muscle which plays a determining role in performing the stance and other karate techniques could be injured in intensive exercise and may induce anterior knee pain in athletes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between training volume and muscle activity of vastus medialis and vastus lateralis and its association with anterior knee pain in karate elites. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Male and female athletes from national junior and cadet karate team (14 to 18 years) were invited to participate in the study at the beginning and the end of the training camps. Studies involved measurement of electromyographic muscle activity of vastus medialis and vastus lateralis in both lower extremities with surface electromyography device and assessment of movement by electrogoniometery. Muscle activity was recorded in three tests of dachi, walking up and walking down stairs. Simultaneously, anterior knee pain was evaluated using visual analogue scale and anterior knee pain scale questionnaire. RESULTS: Eight athletes of a total number of 23 reported increased ratings of pain in their right knees. No differences in muscle activity were observed in tests of Dachi and stairs between the groups with and without pain. Comparing Dachi task pattern at the beginning and end of training camps, there was no significant difference in pattern of biomechanical movement; however, reducing the amount of muscle activity in early and late phases of tasks was observed in electromyographic assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that performing the same task after a six-week training period, less muscle activity was required in all phases in two groups of tasks, including karate-specific movement (dachi) and activities of daily living (up or down stairs).