Changes in drop-jump landing biomechanics during prolonged intermittent exercise
Injury rates appear to be higher at the end of a sporting activity in which fatigues plays a role. Landings task are commonly used in research to evaluate the biomechanical risk factors for (among other) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purposes of this study were (1) to identify lower extremity biomechanics factors of a drop-jump during a 90-minute intermittent exercise protocol (comparable with a soccer match) and (2) to evaluate how these factors are changing during and following this exercise protocol.
A total of fifty-nine athletes were assessed with a drop-jump every 15 minutes of the exercise protocol and during the following one hour after finishing this protocol. The collected data suggests that in later phases of the match the proximal lower extremity during the landing is in a more upright position which is associated with an increased risk of an ACL-injury. Compared to other studies, this individualized exercise protocol shows more effects on landing biomechanics compared with short-term, exhaustive fatigue protocols. > From: Schmitz et al., Sports Health. 6 (2014) 128-135. All rights reserved to The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
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