The effect of combined isometric and plyometric training on musculotendinous ankle stiffness and its subsequent effect on performance in international age-group track sprint cycling

Context: Neuromuscular adaptations following exercise training are believed to enhance sports performance. While abundant research is available on adaptations of the lower body to plyometric training, little is known about adaptations of the upper body to plyometric training. Objective: To examine the effect of plyometric training on neuromuscular adaptations in cricket players of different age groups. Design: Randomized parallel group active-controlled trial. Setting: Research laboratory, school cricket ground, and sports complex field. Participants: Fifty-nine cricket players were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. Interventions: The experimental group was subjected to 8 weeks of medicine ball plyometric training held thrice per week. Neuromuscular adaptations were analyzed pretraining and posttraining in 3 age groups: <18, 18–25, and >25 years. Analysis of variance was used to ascertain the training effects between and within the 6 subgroups, that is, age group <18 years (control and experimental), age group 18–25 years (control and experimental), and age group >25 years (control and experimental). Main outcome measures: Muscle activation, upper body balance, upper body power, and muscle strength. Results: Out of 59, 55 participants completed the study. Subjects aged <18 years (adolescents) showed significantly greater improvements than those from the groups 18–25 years and >25 years (adults) on upper body balance and upper body power. Significant improvements were observed in the experimental subjects of all age groups on their muscle activity of biceps brachii, upper body balance, and upper body power following medicine ball plyometric training. Conclusions: Though adolescent subjects were found to be more adaptive than adult subjects, experimental subjects showed significantly greater neuromuscular adaptations to medicine ball plyometric training than controls. These findings emphasize the need for coaches and athletic trainers to inculcate medicine ball plyometric exercises in training regimes of cricket players so as to improve their upper body performance.

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Isolated Joint Block Progression Training Improves Leaping Performance in Dancers

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living ◽

10.3389/fspor.2021.779824 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Paige E. Rice ◽

Kiisa Nishikawa ◽

Sophia Nimphius

Keyword(s):

Plantar Flexion ◽

Center Of Mass ◽

Training Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Plyometric Training ◽

Joint Kinetics ◽

Combined Training ◽

Ankle Stiffness ◽

Training Modalities ◽

Kinematics And Kinetics

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 12-week ankle-specific block progression training program on saut de chat leaping performance [leap height, peak power (PP), joint kinetics and kinematics], maximal voluntary isometric plantar flexion (MVIP) strength, and Achilles tendon (AT) stiffness. Dancers (training group n = 7, control group n = 7) performed MVIP at plantarflexed (10◦) and neutral ankle positions (0◦) followed by ramping isometric contractions equipped with ultrasound to assess strength and AT stiffness, respectively. Dancers also performed saut de chat leaps surrounded by 3-D motion capture atop force platforms to determine center of mass and joint kinematics and kinetics. The training group then followed a 12-week ankle-focused program including isometric, dynamic constant external resistance, accentuated eccentric loading, and plyometric training modalities, while the control group continued dancing normally. We found that the training group's saut de chat ankle PP (59.8%), braking ankle stiffness (69.6%), center of mass PP (11.4%), and leap height (12.1%) significantly increased following training. We further found that the training group's MVIP significantly increased at 10◦ (17.0%) and 0◦ (12.2%) along with AT stiffness (29.6%), while aesthetic leaping measures were unchanged (peak split angle, mean trunk angle, trunk angle range). Ankle-specific block progression training appears to benefit saut de chat leaping performance, PP output, ankle-joint kinetics, maximal strength, and AT stiffness, while not affecting kinematic aesthetic measures. We speculate that the combined training blocks elicited physiological changes and enhanced neuromuscular synchronization for increased saut de chat leaping performance in this cohort of dancers.

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Trainable Children Can Learn Adjectives, Polars, and Prepositions!

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/0161-1461.0803.181 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 181-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marlys Mitchell ◽

Carolyn Evans ◽

John Bernard

Keyword(s):

Mentally Retarded ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Age Group ◽

Achievement Gains ◽

Active Involvement ◽

Mentally Retarded Children ◽

Locative Prepositions ◽

Major Factors ◽

Trainable Mentally Retarded

Twelve trainable mentally retarded children were given six weeks of instruction in the use of adjectives, polars, and locative prepositions. Specially prepared Language Master cards constituted the program. Posttests indicated that children in the older chronological age group earned significantly higher scores than those in the younger group. Children in the younger group made significant increases in scores, particularly in learning prepositions. A multisensory approach and active involvement in learning appeared to be major factors in achievement gains.

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