Thigh muscle activity, knee motion, and impact force during side-step pivoting in agility-trained female basketball players.
BACKGROUND
Improving neuromuscular control of hamstrings muscles might have implications for decreasing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in females.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of a 6-week agility training program on quadriceps and hamstrings muscle activation, knee flexion angles, and peak vertical ground reaction force.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized clinical research trial.


METHODS
Sports medicine research laboratory.


METHODS
Thirty female intramural basketball players with no history of knee injury (age = 21.07 +/- 2.82 years, height = 171.27 +/- 4.66 cm, mass = 66.36 +/- 7.41 kg).


METHODS
Participants were assigned to an agility training group or a control group that did not participate in agility training. Participants in the agility training group trained 4 times per week for 6 weeks.


METHODS
We used surface electromyography to assess muscle activation for the rectus femoris, vastus medialis oblique, medial hamstrings, and lateral hamstrings for 50 milliseconds before initial ground contact and while the foot was in contact with the ground during a side-step pivot maneuver. Knee flexion angles (at initial ground contact, maximum knee flexion, knee flexion displacement) and peak vertical ground reaction force also were assessed during this maneuver.


RESULTS
Participants in the training group increased medial hamstrings activation during ground contact after the 6-week agility training program. Both groups decreased their vastus medialis oblique muscle activation during ground contact. Knee flexion angles and peak vertical ground reaction force did not change for either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Agility training improved medial hamstrings activity in female intramural basketball players during a side-step pivot maneuver. Agility training that improves hamstrings activity might have implications for reducing anterior cruciate ligament sprain injury associated with side-step pivots.
Wilderman
Danielle R
DR
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Ross
Scott E
SE
Padua
Darin A
DA
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D001490:Basketball / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D007717:Knee / Q000502:physiology*; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology; D013848:Thigh; D055815:Young Adult