Changes in Muscle Architecture of Vastus Lateralis Muscle After an Alpine Snowboarding Race

Vernillo, Gianluca; Pisoni, Cesare; Sconfienza, Luca M.; Thiébat, Gabriele; Longo, Stefano

doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000001469

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…TECH skiers require more explosiveness and dynamic style (larger percentage of time spent in concentric/eccentric over the turn cycles) whereas SPEED skiers require quasi-static maintenance of the "egg position" (larger percentage of time spent in isometric over the turn cycles). An effect of on-snow training was also previously evidenced in elite alpine snowboarders showing a quadriceps architectural asymmetry reflecting the technical features of alpine snowboarding with asymmetrical posture and the muscle eccentric loading difference within lower limbs [67]. The present discipline differences could be attributed to muscle architectural adaptations as it has been reported in skiers in response to an eccentric cycling training [30] or following a skiing program [45].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Discipline and Sex Differences in Angle-specific Isokinetic Analysis in Elite Skiers

et al. 2019

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Standard outcomes of traditional isokinetic testing do not detect differences between various muscle mechanical properties. This study i) explored a novel analysis throughout the range of motion based on statistical parametric mapping and ii) examined the impact of sex and discipline on hamstrings/quadriceps torque in elite alpine skiers. Twenty-eight national team skiers (14 females, 14 males; 14 technical, 14 speed) undertook an isokinetic evaluation of the knee flexors/extensors (range 30–90°, 0° representing full extension). There was no effect of sex (p=0.864, d=0.03) and discipline (p=0.360, d=0.17) on maximal hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio and no effect of discipline on maximal torque (p>0.156, d≤0.25). Hamstrings torque and hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio were lower in females than males toward knee extension only (p<0.05). Quadriceps torque was greater after 72° of knee flexion in technicians than downhill skiers (p<0.05). The current data showed that statistical parametric mapping analysis identified angle-specific differences that could not be evidenced when analyzing only maximal torques and reconstructed ratios. This may enhance screening methods to identify pathologic knee function or monitor rehabilitation programs, and inform sex- and discipline-specific training in alpine skiing.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Discipline and Sex Differences in Angle-specific Isokinetic Analysis in Elite Skiers

et al. 2019

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“…This likely occurs due to greater weight distribution on the rear leg during snowboarding that could reflect an increased adaptation of muscle characteristics, such as size and volume. We confirmed this hypothesis observing a ∼14% difference in muscle architecture between the front and the rear leg (i.e., a lower pennation angle associated with a greater fascicle length), which also suggests the presence of a morphological asymmetry in elite SBalp athletes ( Vernillo et al, 2017 ). In summary, it appears that functional and morphological asymmetries are only present in SBalp.…”

Section: Physiological and Physical Profile Of Snowboardingsupporting

confidence: 80%

Physiological and Physical Profile of Snowboarding: A Preliminary Review

Vernillo

Pisoni²,

Thiébat³

2018

Front. Physiol.

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The sport of snowboarding has grown in popularity as both a recreational winter activity as well as a prominent Olympic sport. Both forms are comprised of one of three different disciplines within the sport: freestyle, alpine, and snowboard-cross. In recent years, the increased professionalism and substantial growth of snowboarding as a global sport has increasingly attracted the interest of exercise physiologists and sport scientists. Given the small (but growing) number of studies that have been published, the research analyzing the physiological and performance characteristics and requirements of snowboarding remains limited. The absence of such studies signifies a lack of examination into this important but under-explored area of research, which could contribute valuable information to the scientific community and international snowboarding teams. The studies conducted thus far have indicated different requirements of physiological and physical traits dependent upon the specific discipline of snowboarding in question. For example, in order to meet the divers demands of each discipline, athletes must develop various qualities, such as muscular strength and power. This can increase their ability to withstand the high forces and loads on the muscular system during competition, and further decrease their risk of lower limbs injuries. At the same time, the studies acknowledge the potential advantages of aerobic fitness in terms of recovery, to more efficiently sustain the athlete through both competitive and on- and off-snow training sessions. Given the value and breadth of application of these limited studies, further analysis and research could contribute greater knowledge and benefits to the field of snowboarding. Therefore, it is the purpose of this preliminary review to explore the current literature, providing further insight into the physiological and physical demands of snowboarding performance. This preliminary review is intended to stimulate interest among the communities of exercise physiologists, sport scientists and particularly coaches in order to improve our current understanding of snowboarding and its demands as a sport. This preliminary review further seeks to develop protocols and strategies to assess physiological and performance characteristics of snowboarding, monitor athletic performance, provide practical recommendations for training, identify new areas of scientific research, and develop accurate talent identification programs.

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“…Previous research suggests that the preferential use of the dominant over the non-dominant lower limb is associated with a larger muscle mass in the dominant one [48]. In addition, unilateral sports with a high volume of strong eccentric movements of the dominant limb would appear to cause an increase in the length of the muscle fascicle and a reduction of pennation angles [49] that have been described as asymmetric changes in modalities such as snowboarding and soccer [25, 50]. Contrary to these findings, in the work of Aeles et al [51] involving well-trained jumping athletes and untrained subjects, no significant differences were found in muscle architecture between the dominant and non-dominant lower limbs, and additionally some of the most recent reviews indicate that muscle architecture could be unrelated to achieving an enhanced sport performance in jumping [51, 52].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Myotendinous asymmetries derived from the prolonged practice of badminton in professional players

Bravo-Sánchez¹,

Abián²,

Jiménez³

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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BackgroundThe continued practice of a sport linked to the unilateral predominance of the dominant side can provoke chronic asymmetric adaptations in the myotendinous structure and mechanical properties. Objectives: The main purpose was to determine whether asymmetry between the preferred and non-preferred lower limb is present in the lower limb tendon structure, muscle architecture and stiffness values of professional badminton players.MethodsSixteen male professional badminton players (age = 24.1 ± 6.7 years; body height = 177.90 ± 7.53 cm) participated in this study. The muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis (VL), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and the structure of patellar and Achilles tendons were measured in the dominant and non-dominant lower limb with ultrasonography. Stiffness was also measured at the same points with a hand-held MyotonPro. Significant differences between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb were determined using Student’s t test for related samples.ResultsBilateral differences were observed for thickness, width and cross-sectional area (CSA) in both tendons showing higher values for the dominant side: patellar tendon CSA (2.02 ± 0.64 vs. 1.51 ± 0.42 cm2; p < 0.05) and Achilles tendon CSA (1.12 ± 0.18 vs. 0.92 ± 0.28 cm2; p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in muscle architecture and myotonic variables between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb.ConclusionsThe prolonged practice of badminton caused asymmetries in the CSA, width and thickness of the patellar and Achilles tendon between the dominant and non-dominant lower limbs. No bilateral differences were found in the muscle architecture of VL, MG and LG or in the stiffness of any muscle or tendon analyzed.

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Changes in Muscle Architecture of Vastus Lateralis Muscle After an Alpine Snowboarding Race

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

Discipline and Sex Differences in Angle-specific Isokinetic Analysis in Elite Skiers

Discipline and Sex Differences in Angle-specific Isokinetic Analysis in Elite Skiers

Physiological and Physical Profile of Snowboarding: A Preliminary Review

Myotendinous asymmetries derived from the prolonged practice of badminton in professional players

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