RELIABILITY OF AN ECCENTRIC ISOKINETIC PROTOCOL INVESTIGATING THE SHOULDER INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ROTATORS AT HIGH VELOCITIES

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of peak torque, total work and work ratios eccentrically at 300º/sec using the Biodex isokinetic dynamometer. Thirty healthy men and women volunteers who exhibited no prior history of glenohumeral injury were studied. The subjects were tested bilaterally, in the scapular plane, for eccentric internal and external rotation while seated. Three total sessions using identical protocols and separated by seven days were used to calculate intraclass correlation coefficients. The results indicated reliable coefficients ranging from 0.86 to 0.96 for peak torques and total work for the dominant and non-dominant shoulder as well as the internal and external rotators. However, the coefficients for the work ratio demonstrated low reliability and ranged from 0.01 to 0.29. Another protocol is needed to identify the fatigue properties of the shoulder rotators

KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE BACK SALTO TAKE-OFF IN A TUMBLING SERIES: ADVANCED VS. BEGINNER TECHNIQUES

The purpose of this study was to differentiate techniques used by beginner and advanced level gymnasts in the take-off of a back salto preceded by a round-off back handspring. Six gymnasts performed multiple trials of the tumbling series, in which horizontal and vertical velocities of the center of mass were calculated, take-off and flight times investigated, and peak heights derived from the analysis. It was found that the advanced gymnasts did possess lower horizontal and higher vertical velocities, shorter take-off times, longer flight times, and higher saltos than the beginning gymnasts