BRINGING SCIENCE TO TREATMENT
Taiwanese luge athlete Lien Te-an works out REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Injured athletes often bang away at the same exercises with each therapy session, adding weights and reps when tolerated. A crowded therapy schedule may mean knee group and shoulder group doing the same prescribed exercises each day. Researchers from Brazil wondered if changing up a workout routine would enhance exercise results. They randomly assigned 17 healthy males with resistance training experience to either an experimental or control group. Both groups participated in an eight-week resistance training program and performed four sessions per week. The control group participated in a traditional weight training regimen with the load increasing every two weeks. The experimental group participated in different, randomly selected exercises during each session. The experimental group’s exercises still followed a pattern of pushing and pulling exercises for the upper body and anterior and posterior chain activities for the lower body.
Pre and post-intervention outcomes of psychological readiness, muscle thickness, body composition, and maximal dynamic strength were measured using the Situational Motivation Scale, ultrasound imaging, anthropometric methods, and 1RM strength testing. Both interventions showed improvement in muscle thickness, with no significant differences between groups. Body composition did not change significantly after the intervention in either group. Maximal strength improved significantly in both groups, with no significant difference between the groups. However, the experimental group showed significant moderate increases in their motivation to participate in training, while the control group decreased in this area. The difference between the groups was significant.
It is disheartening to see athletes return to sport too early because they are bored with rehab. They fail to understand the importance of the continued monitored training once they are ‘healed’ and cleared by their physician. Playing before they are ready increases the likelihood of repeated injury. This study showed that varying exercises still provides enough resistance to gain muscle strength and size while keeping the athlete engaged. This approach challenges the clinician to plan treatments, record sessions, and monitor the athlete’s progress on a more individual level. Doing so, however, may keep the athlete engaged enough to complete their rehab course before returning to sport.
in Email Newsletters, Improve, Prevent
Athletes quarantined or ordered to stay home, especially ones who were previously furloughed due to injury, have limited opportunities to exercise in a way that simulates match play. Once communities lift the social distancing guidelines, those on the injured list will be healed enough to return to play. However, will they be more vulnerable to... MORE
in Diagnose & Treat, Improve, Sports psychology
Fatigue is a complex issue, rarely noted beyond athlete complaints of feeling tired. Alejandro Nino explains why an athlete or patient stops exercising and how to influence variables for improved performance. Two of the main theories of exercise regulation are the peripheral model and the central governor model of fatigue(1). These two models are mostly... MORE
Due to the coronavirus, most municipalities and regions are under a stricter level of social distancing. Many are calling for people to ‘shelter-in-place’. Depending on where you reside and practice, you’ve likely shuttered your clinic by now. That doesn’t mean you have to stop treating patients. Sports professionals around the world are exploring telehealth... MORE
In light of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, I want to extend to you, and all our readers, wishes for good health. As a ‘new normal’ takes hold each day and then seems to change with the next, I know that you’ve got a lot on your mind. For those of you in private... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Improve, Sports psychology
Just under half of the injuries that take players off the field and onto the bench are due to knee trauma(1). The number of athletes that returns to play at their previous level is significantly low(1). Typical injury recovery programs focus on the physical damage, but despite the improvement in clinical parameters, athletes may still... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Improve, Prevent
A recent Sports Injury Bulletin article by Jason Tee explored the complexities of injury prevention programs. He likened injury prevention to taking out an insurance policy to keep injuries from occurring in otherwise healthy athletes. However, do injury prevention principles, particularly the measurement of training load, have a place in the rehabilitation of an already... MORE
