Scientists have recently concluded a six week ‘Neuromuscular Training Program’ specifically targeted at the athletes. As a result of this training program the athletic performance measures of select athletes were observed to be improved. Performance was also reported as improved with changed movement patterns during jumping tasks among these participants.

Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Dr. Jonathan D. Chappell at Wake Orthopedics, Raleigh, North Carolina and Centinela Freeman Hospital Biomechanics laboratory, Los Angeles, California and Dr. Orr Linpisvasti at Centinela Freeman Hospital Biomechanics Laboratory and Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, Los Angeles, California conducted this training program to study the effects of neuromuscular techniques on the kinetics and kinematics of select jumping tasks in select female collegiate athletes.

Findings of this program have been published in the current issue of the “American Journal of Sports medicine”. Altered motor controlled strategies have been spotted as major reasons for increase in risks for female athletes. These risks include non-contract anterior cruciate ligament injuries. This focused training program has demonstrated positive outcomes in decreasing risks of cruciate ligament injuries.

This program involved 30 female ‘National Athletic Association’ Division-I soccer and basketball players and were asked to perform selected types of vertical jumps, hopping tests, and two specific jumping tasks as drop jump and stop jump.

All these 30 female athlete participants went through a six week neuromuscular training which included core strengthening and polymetric training. Researchers applied a three dimensional motion analysis and used the force plate data for comparing the kinetics and kinematics of select jumping tasks for pre and post-training stages.

Researchers observed that the dynamic knee valgus moment was decreased significantly during the stance phase of ‘stop jump’ tasks when measured after the completion of training program. There were no differences observed in the results obtained from ‘stop jump’ and ‘drop jump’ tests. When analyzed on completion of training, maximum knee flexion angles were found to be increased during the stance phase of ‘stop jump’. All the female athletes showed significant improvement in their performances in the vertical jump, right one legged hop jump, and left one legged hop jump.

Dr. Jonathan D. Chappell and Dr. Orr Linpisvasti are very hopeful with the results obtained from this targeted neuromuscular training program along with controlled laboratory study and its future outcomes with more applications for the benefits of athletes. Such type of focused trainings has great potential to modify the collegiate athlete’s motion strategies. It will further improve their performance and will help in lowering down the risks of non-contract anterior cruciate ligament injuries, say researchers.

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