Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Blog”
Muscle soreness and pain are common sensations following a bout of unfamiliar exercise. This is believed secondary to lengthening and damage of the muscle fibers resulting in inflammation. Moreover, this damage results in changes in neuromuscular function and force production. Surprisingly, this decrease in force is not seen until 12 hours following exercise, perhaps due to pain not occurring until …
TAKE HOME POINTS FOR CORE STRENGTH IN SWIMMERS Core strength is plane dependent. Core strength is activity dependent. Core strength can vary with training volume, load, etc. I’ve received a lot of emails recently regarding core strength, specifically how to test for core strength and tell if someone has enough “core strength for swimming”. Now, there are numerous methods for testing …
1. Please introduce yourself to the readers (how you started in the profession, education, credentials, experience, etc.). I am coming from Ljubljana, Slovenia. I’m an Assistant Professor at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Sport. I spent most of my childhood in competitive swimming. My swimming career was ended during the third year of study at the University of Ljubljana, …
Core stability and strength are thought to improve performance in various sports. In handball, the thrower is believed to use their core during maximal throwing performances. This study looked at the results of core training on throwing velocity performance. What was done Twenty-four female high-school handball players (16.6 years) were divided into a sling exercise training (ST) or a control …
Though many feel core strength is essential for athletes, measuring this strength is not well understood. This study attempted to analyze the impact of dynamic core strength on performance and find a measurable field test. What was done Twenty-five Division I collegiate football (~19.0 years) players performed medicine ball throws (forward, reverse, right, and left) in static and dynamic positions. …
Many core exercises are used with the goal of improving core stability and decreasing low back pain. This study used a control group and compared it to a novel exercise. What was done Forty patients with low back pain (~50.35 years; M=19, F=21) performed either the drawing in the abdominal wall (control) or the ankle dorsiflexion in addition to drawing …
Background on Instability Training Although instability is often used to strengthen the core and hips, the translation of this to dynamic movement is not certain. Also, the influence of instability training on proprioception is also not well established. This study looked at the effects of instability training. What was done Forty-three participants were split into a training program for 10-weeks …
There is an inherit association between core stability and swimming performance. However, if swimming improves core stability, how does core stability improve swimming? In swimming, the core muscles recruited are task-specific and are unique to each task. Swimming skills are specific to the exact swimming skill and even the same stroke at different speed may not be specific. Transfer Many …
A weak core is considered paramount for athletes, as it is the “engine” of the body. It is also believed a weak core increases the risk of injury. The core is defined as the muscles which surround the lumbopelvic region and includes the abdominals anteriorly, the paraspinals and gluteals posteriorly, the pelvic floor musculature inferiorly, the hip abductors and rotators …
Low back pain is very common in the general population, estimated at 85% of people. Adolescent athletes are thought to have more low back pain than age-matched peers. Spondylolysis, a lesion in the pars interarticularis of the neural arch, is more commonly injured in athletes (specifically gymnasts, throwing athletes, rowers, etc.). Athletes have also been shown to have a greater …