Benefits of Resistance Training for Balance in Elderly Populations

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EFFECTS OF A PILATES EXERCISE PROGRAM ON CORE STRENGTH IN FEMALES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a core stability-training program on core strength in females. Core stability is the strength and control of postural muscles of the back, abdomen, and pelvis. Some researchers have suggested that core stability might partially explain why females are more prone to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than males. We randomly assigned 17 female volunteer participants to an exercise or control group. We measured maximum isometric strength of the hip abductors, abdominals, and back extensors, before and after ten weeks of Pilates exercise. The exercise group met three times weekly for 40 minute supervised exercise sessions. A repeated measures MANOVA revealed no training effect at the end of the intervention (F = 0.435, p = 0.87

WEIGHT TRANSFER IN DIFFERENT GOLF SWING STYLES BASED ON SWING PLANE: A NONLINEAR DYNAMICS APPROACH

INTRODUCTION: Weight transfer has been considered as one of the most important aspects of golf swing in golf coaching theories. Previous studies present conflicting and restricted findings on weight transfer. The purpose of this study was to determine if swing style influences weight transfer pattern by analyzing select center-of-pressure parameters using the approximate entropy method

A 3-D DETERMINATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE SWING PLANE IN GOLF

INTRODUCTION: The direction and ball carry distance of a golf shot are determined by the trajectory of the clubhead near the impact and the impact conditions such as the clubhead speed, club face angle and orientation at impact. Swing plane, one of the most frequently used terms in golf coaching lately, is also one of the most controversial and misleading concepts: single-plane, multi-plane, one-plane, two-plane, on-plane, etc. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to develop a method to determine the true swing plane based on the clubhead motion (trajectory), and (b) to obtain a biomechanical profile of the swing planes of professional golfers through the swing plane analysis

Effects of Band-Resisted Abduction on Muscle Activity between the Barbell Hip Thrust and Barbell Glute Bridge

The importance of hip extensor and abductor muscles for sport performance and injury reduction is well-documented. To target these muscle groups, the barbell hip thrust and barbell glute bridge are used to load the posterior kinetic chain while band-resisted abduction exercises, like band-resisted side stepping, target the lateral kinetic chain. However, combining band-resisted hip abduction with barbell hip-extension dominant exercises has not yet been investigated. In this study, ten male subjects underwent a two-part research protocol with surface electromyography (sEMG) measured during a 5-repetition maximum (5-RM) load performance to determine differences in peak and mean muscular activity between band-resisted barbell hip thrust (BBHT) and barbell hip thrust (BHT), and between band-resisted barbell glute bridge (BBGB) and barbell glute bridge (BGB). The results indicated three significant differences between the pairs, with both banded conditions eliciting greater sEMG activity in the Upper Gluteus Maximus compared to non-banded conditions. However, BGB unexpectedly elicited greater sEMG activity in the Gluteus Medius compared to BBGB. The differences in muscle activity could potentially be explained by reciprocal inhibition and synergistic dominance. Further research is needed to make definitive statements on the superiority of band-resisted barbell exercises over non-banded barbell exercises and transferability to sport performance

THE EFFECT OF 12-WEEK STRENGTH TRAINING ON GAIT CHARACTERISTICS IN ADOLESCENT WITH DOWN SYNDROME: A SINGLE CASE STUDY

It has been reported that approximately 80% of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit abnormal gait characteristics. They are exhibited by flat-footed contact with no heel-strike, excessive abduction of the leg in the swing phase, and abnormal knee and hip flexion throughout the gait cycle (Matteo, 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a 12-week strength training program on the gait characteristics during walking by an adolescent with DS

PREFERRED AND ENERGETICALLY OPTIMAL TRANSITION SPEEDS DURING BACKWARD HUMAN LOCOMOTION

Some aspects of backward locomotion are similar to forward locomotion, while other aspects are not related to their forward counterpart. The backward preferred transition speed (BPTS) has never been directly compared to the energetically optimal transition speed (EOTS), nor has it been compared to the preferred transition speed (PTS) during forward locomotion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the BPTS occurs at the EOTS, and to examine the relationship between the backward and forward preferred gait transition speeds. The preferred backward and forward transition speeds of 12 healthy, young subjects (7 males, 5 females) were determined after subjects were familiarized with forward and backward treadmill locomotion. On a subsequent day, subjects walked backward at speeds of 70, 80, 90, 100, and 110% of the BPTS and ran backward at speeds of 60, 75, 90, 100, and 120% of the BPTS while VO2 and RPE data were collected. After subtracting standing VO2, exercise VO2 was normalized to body mass and speed. For each subject, energy-speed curves for walking and running were fit to the normalized data points. The intersection of these curves was defined as the EOTS which was compared to the BPTS using a paired t-test (p < 0.05). RPE and VO2 at the BPTS were also compared between walking and running conditions, and the correlation between BPTS and PTS was calculated. The EOTS (1.85 ± 0.09 m·s-1) was significantly greater than the BPTS (1.63 ± 0.11 m·s-1). Even though RPE was equal for walking and running at the BPTS, VO2 was significantly greater when running. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.82) between the BPTS and the PTS. Similar to forward locomotion, the determinants of the BPTS must include factors other than metabolic energy. The gait transition during backward locomotion exhibits several similarities to its forward counterpar