Context: Shoulder injury in baseball pitchers is a very common problem and has been linked to an imbalance in rotator cuff strength. Recently, the use of functional shoulder strength ratios has become more popular because they more closely resemble the actions of the shoulder during the throwing motion. Objective: To investigate the link between preseason shoulder rotator cuff functional strength ratios and the development of shoulder pain and injury. Design: Prospective research design. Setting: University human performance laboratory. Patients: Fifteen collegiate baseball pitchers participated in this study. At the end of the baseball season, six (19.5 + 1.8 years, 73.6 ± 2.8 inches, 198.7 + 19.1 lbs) developed shoulder injury and were placed in the injured group, and nine (21.0 ± 1.7 years, 73.1 ± 2.3 inches, 207.9 + 28.1 lbs) did not develop injury and were placed in the noninjured group. Interventions: Isokinetic peak torque was collected concentrically and eccentrically for both shoulder internal rotation (IR) and external rotation (ER) at 60° • s '1, 180° -s-', and 300° -s-1. Main Outcome Measure: The following functional ratios were calculated from the peak torque measures: concentric ER: concentric IR; eccentric ER: eccentric IR; concentric ER: eccentric IR (cocking phase); and eccentric ER: concentric IR (acceleration phase). Analysis was conducted using an analysis of variance comparing the injured and noninjured groups. A secondary analysis was conducted using an analyses of variance on the concentric and eccentric peak torque for shoulder IR and ER between groups. Results: The acceleration phase functional shoulder ratio was significantly higher (p = .019) in the injured group and a concentric IR peak torque (p = .003) was significantly lower in the injured group com pared with the noninjured group. Conclusion: Increased acceleration phase ratios and decreased concentric IR peak torque may be linked to the development of shoulder injury during a baseball season.
This study examined a modification of the Margaria-Kalamen test for football players. The football stair climb test (FST) protocol used in this study increased the vertical displacement (20 steps, 3.12 m) so that the mean best time for the test was 2.048 +/- 0.267 seconds. Fifty-eight Division I-A football players volunteered to participate (mean +/- SD age = 20.2 +/- 1.8 yr, height = 184.1 +/- 7.7 cm, weight = 102.5 +/- 19.4 kg). Subjects performed 25 trials with 30 to 40 seconds of rest between trials. Test-retest reliability was determined using 34 subjects by way of intraclass correlation coefficients with a value of 0.73 for peak power and SEM of 105.4 W, indicating an acceptable level of reliability. Subjects were divided into 3 groups by position: linemen (Line), skill, and linebackers (LB). Alpha level was p < 0.05. Peak power was 1674.5 +/- 300.8, 1712.6 +/- 251.5, and 1388.6 +/- 210.4 W for the LB, Line, and Skill groups, respectively. Groups were significantly different (p < 0.0001), with the LB and Line found to be more powerful than the Skill group. Peak power continued to increase throughout the 25 trials in the Skill and LB group but plateaued after approximately 17 trials in the Line group. It was concluded that the FST was a reliable test for measuring peak anaerobic power in collegiate football players, which, theoretically, should provide more accurate measures of peak power caused by increased vertical displacement and longer duration, resulting in a decreased influence of cheating strategies during test administration. To achieve maximal power in stair climbing tasks, coaches may need to incorporate a greater number of trials or a more intense warm-up than has been previously reported.
Subconcussive head impacts do not result in outward signs of neurological dysfunction, however they may have an effect on neurocognitive function. Limited research has indicated that negative changes in neurocognitive function occurs in high school football athletes as a result of one season of football. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the effects of one season of high school football on neurocognitive test scores. Results revealed a significant group and time interaction effect (p < .001) for the Verbal Memory composite score of the ImPACT test. Further analysis revealed a significant difference in the Verbal Memory score between groups at postseason (p < .01), with the football group scoring lower than the low contact group. It appears that one season of high school football may have a negative effect on the Verbal Memory composite score of the ImPACT test in high school football athletes.
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