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The relationship between balance, knee muscle strength, jump height and risk of injury has not been clearly stated in female volleyball athletes. The study was to determine whether a correlation exists between knee joint isokinetic muscle strength, risk of injury, balance and jump height in female volleyball athletes. Twenty-two female volleyball athletes were involved into the study. Knee muscle strength were evaluated with the Biodex 3 ® isokinetic dynamometer. Jump performances were evaluated with the countermovement (CMJ) jump test using the Vert Jump ® Motion Sensitive Sensor. The injury risk for all players were evaluated by the Functional Movement Screen (FMS ® ). Balance measurements were performed with a dynamometer Biodex Systems 3 ® device. There was a significant relationship between CMJ height, knee flexion and extension peak torque and H:Q ratio values at two angular velocities, dynamic balance and total FMS ® scores (p < .05). However, contralateral deficit statistically significant were not related between CMJ height, dynamic balance and FMS ® scores (p > .05). We suggest that all clinicians and coaches involved in the protective and preventive rehabilitation phase evaluate these parameters and plan their training programs in line with the results obtained in increasing both individual and team performance of athletes.

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The purpose of the study was to compare physical characteristics and performance values between different playing positions in professional female team handball. Twenty-nine female handball players were categorized as centers (n=6), pivots (n=9), wings (n=8) or goalkeepers (n=16). Measurement of physical characteristics including body height and mass, body mass index; knee muscle strength, scores on the lower limb vertical power (vPower), lower and upper limb performance and trunk extension endurance were determined and compared across playing positions. The goalkeepers had higher knee strength as compared to pivots, wings, and centers (p<.001, ηp2>.20). Pivot players achieved higher vPower than wings, centers, and goalkeepers (p=.011, ηp2=.759). In addition, goalkeepers and wings achieved higher vPower than centers (p<.001, ηp2=.759). No significant differences were observed in trunk extension endurance and upper limb performance results according to playing positions (p>.05, ηp2<.20). The pivots and wings had better lower limb performance than goalkeepers and centers (p<.001, ηp2=.682-.701). The present study concludes that depending on their play positions, there are differences in terms of physical characteristics, knee muscle strength, vertical power, and lower extremity performance in elite female handball players. These results could help improve coaches' knowledge of elite female teams in the particular in the country where the study was conducted and in others of similar characteristics.

Aim:The aim of this study was to compare isokinetic muscle strength of wrist flexor and extensor muscles in paralympic athletes.Methods:This study was carried out with the participation of 9 (4 females and 5 males) wheelchair (WC) table tennis players aged 24+3 and 8 male WC basketball players aged 26+3, met the criteria and voluntarly participate in the study. Body weight, height, body mass index and dominant extremity of the study subjects were recorded. İsokinetic measurement were performed with Isomed 2000® device. İsokinetic testing protocol; before the test all players performed the wrist flexion and extension isokinetic test with the 5 repeating at 90º/sec as a warm-up and comprehending the test. Then, wrist flexion and extension concentric-concentric strength measurements were performed with the 5 repeating at 60º/sec and with the 15 repeating at 240º/sec with the angle between 50 degrees of wrist flexion and 60 degrees of wrist extension and peak torque, peak torque/kg values and flexion/extension ratios were recorded. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare isokinetic muscle strength quantitative variables in athletes.Findings:Isokinetic muscle strength of wrist flexors and extensors was higher in both sides in WC table tennis players with 60º/sec speed (p<0,05). İsokinetic muscle strength of wrist flexors and extensors was higher in both sides in WC basketball players with 240º/sec speed (p<0,05). There was no significant difference statistically between the groups in isokinetic wrist flexion and extansion peak torque/kg ratio in all speeds (p>0,05). Wrist flexion/extension peak torque ratios were similar in both groups. When examining the athletes flexion/extension ratios, wrist extensor muscles were weaker than flexor muscles and flexor muscles were average twice stronger than extensor muscles in both sports (Table1).Table 1.Comparison of wrist flexion and extension isokinetic muscle strength, peak torque/kg and agonist/antagonist ratio of wc basketball and wc table tennis players* Mann-Whitney U TestiResults:We thought that imbalance of muscle strength in the wrist may have occurred because of the use of a WC and requiring the intensive wrist flexors in playing sports. In both groups wrist ekstansor muscles were found to be weaker than wrist flexors and flexor/extensor ratio was found to be imbalance. We believe that all athletes using WC such as WC table tennis and WC basketball players have a strenght imbalance in the muscle of the wrist and as a result, this situation will increase the possibility of injury. Therefore, our study showed that weakness of wrist extensors and imbalance of muscle stenght should be taken into account in WC athletes in athletic training and exercise programs.