The Acute Effect of Foam Rolling on Eccentrically-Induced Muscle Damage

Previous studies have shown significant improvement in muscle soreness and muscle function loss after 300-s foam rolling intervention two days after intense exercise. However, this duration is assumed to be too long, so investigating the effect of short-term duration foam rolling intervention on an eccentrically-damaged muscle is needed. This study aimed to eccentrically induce muscle damage in the leg extensors, and to detect the acute effect of 90-s foam rolling on muscle soreness and muscle function of the quadriceps muscle. We enrolled 17 healthy and nonathlete male volunteers. They performed a bout of eccentric exercise of the knee extensors with the dominant leg and received 90-s foam rolling intervention of the quadriceps two days after the eccentric exercise. The dependent variables were measured before the eccentric exercise (baseline), and before (preintervention) and after foam rolling intervention (postintervention), two days after the eccentric exercise. The results show that the preintervention muscle soreness and muscle strength values were significantly increased, compared with the baseline values, whereas the postintervention values were significantly decreased, compared with the preintervention values. Furthermore, 90-s of foam rolling intervention could improve muscle soreness and muscle function loss.

Differences in basic motor skills among students at the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies regarding Special physical education 1

The aim of this research was to determine the differences between the levels of basic motor skills (BMS) at the entrance exam in relation to BMS in the semester exam in Special Physical Education 1 (SPE 1). The sample consisted of 119 students (39 girls and 80 boys) enrolled at the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies. Student's t-test was used to determine the differences between the observed variables, while the eta square (e2) was calculated to determine effect size. There was a statistically significant improvement for the maximum isometric force of the fingers of the dominant hand (t = -4.296; p <0.000), the repetitive strength of the forearm extensors (t = -4.218; p <0.000), the repetitive strength of the trunk flexors (t = -4.191; p <0.000) and general aerobic endurance (t = -2.473; p <0.018) in female students, as well as for the explosive strength of the leg extensors (t = -2.246; p <0.028), the repetitive strength of the trunk flexors (t = -5.152; p < 0.000), general aerobic endurance (t = -2.512; p <0.021) and maximum isometric force of the back (t = -14.283; p <0.000) among the students. The results of e2 demonstrated that the effect of SPE 1 classes on most observed motor skills in the students of both sexes was strong.

The Efects of Kinetotherapy in the Recovery of Patients with Gonartrosis

Gonarthrosis is one of the most frequent forms of degenerative rheumatism, characterized bybenign evolution andprognosis. Itequally interests both sexes, manifesting itself around the age of 40, and affecting mostly the elderly population. The disease appears as a consequence of the wearingaway of the epiphyseal cartilages, which lose their elasticity and resistance due to mechanical shocks during walking.The localization of the osteoarthritic process at the knee level is considered to be the most common, and, according toits gender based incidence pool, women are by far the most affected, especially after entering menopause. The degenerative osteoarthritic process of the knee is the result of an imbalance between the resistance of the joint structures and the stressorsthey are subjected to.In contrast to hiposteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis could transform intoa dysfunctional disease early on, due to pain and impaired muscular strength, especially of the leg extensors. It is true, however, that severe degenerative, dysfunctional forms can be found almost exclusively in secondary gonarthrosis, caused by misalignments (genuvarum, valgum, etc.), meniscopathies, ligamentous instability, traumas interesting intra-articular bone insertion, chronic nonspecific or specific inflammatory articular processes, endocrine-metabolic disorders.Starting from these assumptions and taking into account the number of people searching treatment for this condition, we believed that thorough theoretical and practical research was needed regarding the efficiency of kinetotherapyin slowing down the evolutionary process of the disease.

Effects of training and detraining on muscle strength in rowers

Introduction. Annual and periodized training protocols significantly affect the muscle adaptation in rowers. Considering that the main goal of the training period is increasing specific muscle strength and of detraining period increasing general strength and active rest, the aim of this study was to compare the strength of different muscle groups between training and detraining periods. Material and Methods. The study was conducted at the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine Novi Sad, and it included 34 male and female rowers, 15 to 18 years of age. The muscle strength was measured using a Concept 2 DYNO dynamometer. The strength of the arm extensors and flexors, as well as the leg extensors was measured twice, at the end of the competition season (peak of performance) and before the beginning of the preparation season (after detraining). Results. A statistically significant decrease was found in absolute and relative muscle strength, flexor and arm extensor contraction rate, as well as relative leg extensor strength and contraction rate during the training and detraining periods (p < 0.05). No difference was found in the absolute leg extensor power between the two measurements (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Periodization of the annual training program in rowers has a higher impact on differences in the upper limb muscle adaptation, compared to lower limb muscles in terms of absolute strength.

Velocity-Dependent Changes in Electrical Efficiency of the Leg Extensors during Eccentric Isokinetic Muscle Actions

The mechanisms underlying velocity-specific decreases in torque production during eccentric muscle actions remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine electrical efficiency at 60 and 180°·s −1 during fatiguing, maximal eccentric isokinetic muscle actions of the leg extensors. Thirteen men visited the lab on two occasions and randomly performed 30 repeated maximal eccentric isokinetic muscle actions of the leg extensors at 60 and 180°·s − ¹ through a 90° range of motion. Polynomial regression analyses and separate repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine the composite patterns of responses for electromyographic amplitude, eccentric torque, and electrical efficiency across the 60 and 180°·s − ¹ protocols. Eccentric torque remained unchanged across the 30 maximal eccentric muscle actions performed at 60 and 180°·s −1. Electromyographic amplitude and electrical efficiency, however, increased linearly across the 180°·s −1 protocol, but there were no changes for either electromyographic amplitude or electrical efficiency during the 60°·s −1 fatiguing protocol. These findings indicated that performing eccentric muscle actions at a fast velocity (i. e., 180°·s −1) was characterized by greater efficiency (i. e., decreased electrical efficiency) compared to eccentric muscle actions performed at a slow velocity (i. e., 60°·s −1). Thus, it is possible that eccentric muscle actions performed at fast velocities are more robust to fatigue due, in part, to greater efficiency compared to slow-velocity eccentric muscle actions.