ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The strength of the trunk musculature plays an essential role in performance. The aims of this study were to analyze the relationship between the strength of the trunk rotation muscles with rotational medicine ball throwing velocity and distance, to study differences between sex in rotational medicine ball throwing and to compare the asymmetries of trunk rotational strength and rotational medicine ball throwing. METHODS: Thirty physically active college students participated on the study. Horizontal and low cable woodchop exercises were assessed with a functional electromechanical dynamometer and throwing was measured with a radar and a measuring tape. A Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for the relation between trunk rotational strength and rotational medicine ball throwing. Independent samples t-test was performed to determine the differences between sex in rotational medicine ball throwing and a paired samples t-test was performed to study the asymmetries. RESULTS: Large and very large correlations were obtained between trunk rotational strength and rotational medicine ball throwing (r=0.68-0.79). Significant differences and a large effect size were found between males and females for all throwing velocity and throwing distance variables (P<0.05; ES>0.90) and asymmetries in performance of mean velocity throwing (P=0.003; ES=-0.60) and peak velocity throwing (P=0.025; ES=-0.43). No significant differences were found between dominant and non-dominant side in any of the trunk rotator strength assessment conditions (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a large or very large correlation between the STRM and the RMBT in all its modalities. Differences in strength were found between sexes, with no significant differences between dominant and non-dominant sides.
Subject(s)
Exercise , Torso , Male , Female , Humans , Torso/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Exercise TherapyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A greater motivation for coaches to be more involved in assessment could be the development of specific strength tests closer to specific handball tasks. Therefore, the aims were to determine the reliability of a handball specific strength test battery in young handball players using a functional electromechanical dynamometer (FEMD) and to evaluate the association between the strength test battery and performance measurements. METHODS: Thirty-two young handball players (25% males and 75% females) performed a repeated-measurement design over four weeks. The players conducted one session per week, with each measurement consisting of two isometric tests to obtain isometric peak force, and four incremental tests. Moreover, performance handball tests (sprint and throwing velocity [TV]) were recorded. RESULTS: The reliability of the whole handball specific strength tests was very high for the peak and mean strength (ICC=0.70-0.85; CV=8.49-13.99; SEM=0.44-0.67 kg). The step forward had a moderate association with 5 to 10 meters' time. The highest correlation between TV