Comparison of Clinical Fatigue Protocols to Decrease Single-Leg Forward Hop Performance in Healthy Individuals

Abstract

Background: Return to activity decisions after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) are limited by functional performance tests often performed in a non-fatigued state. Fatigue can improve test sensitivity, but current methods to induce fatigue are typically bilateral tasks or focus on the quadriceps muscle in isolation.Hypothesis/Purpose: To determine the effects of a two-minute lateral step-down fatigue test compared to a 30-second side-hop test on single-leg forward hop distance in healthy individuals. It was hypothesized that participants would demonstrate decreased hop distance with both tests, but the two-minute lateral step-down fatigue test would result in greater deficits in single-leg forward hop distance. Study Design: Randomized crossoverMethods: Twenty healthy participants (16 females, 4 males; age=23.7±3.0 years, height=153.8±36.2 cm; mass=64.4±12.8 kg; Tegner=6.8±1.2) were asked to perform single-leg forward hop for distance pre-and postfatigue. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two fatigue tests, 30-second side-hop or 2-minute lateral step-down test, during the first visit. They returned within a week and performed the same sequence of tests but underwent whichever fatigue test was not assigned at the prior visit.Results: There was a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in single-leg forward hop distance following the 30-second sidehop test (pre=134.1±23.7 cm, post=126.2±24.4 cm) and the two-minute lateral step-down test (pre=135.0±26.1 cm, post=122.7±27.4 cm). The decrease in hop distance was significantly greater (p < 0.001) for the two-minute lateral step-down test compared to the 30-second side-hop test. Conclusion:The two-minute lateral step-down test resulted in a greater decrease in hop performance compared to the 30-second side-hop test. The results establish a thresh old for expected changes that occur in a healthy population and that can then be compared with an injured athlete population. The two-minute lateral step-down exercise may be an effective method of inducing fatigue to better mimic performance in a sports environment to inform return-tosport decisions.

Application of the 4-Element Movement System Model to Sports Physical Therapy Practice and Education

“…Repetitive tests appropriate for Marie would be the two-minute lateral step down test or the Tuck Jump Test. 17,18 Targeted intervention: Treatment focused on motor control strategies, such as providing external cueing to promote symmetrical loading during various movement patterns following a graded exposure paradigm. Graded exposure was utilized to address low psychological readiness.…”

The Acute Effects of Small-Sided Games on Hamstring Strength in Young Soccer Players

“…The preventive strategies organization can not characterize the top player or the adult athlete, but must be placed above all in the athlete training and athlete evolution process: in this phase the risk factors monitoring offers greater guarantees of long-term success (Opar et al, 2015;White et al, 2018;Leister et al, 2018). The identification at the young age of imbalances and strength asymmetries allow an early intervention that can contrast a potential injury risk scenario.…”