Femoral adduction

MAY NOT BE IDEAL.

GENERIC TRAINING OFFERED TO ALL

Dynamic valgus

Ankle eversion Knee abduction midline

Figure 2: The incorrect way for a jump athlete to land with the occurence of knee valgus (we are looking at the posterior aspect of the athlete)

extension, and minimal hip and forward knee flexion. Even though this way of landing can lead to the development of pathologies such as patellofemoral- based pain and spondylolisthesis, this technique is being passed through the coaching tree, from the head coach down to the athlete, with the athlete being none the wiser until a problem arises.

WHAT IS PLYOMETRICS?

These are jump-based exercises which utilise the stretch–shorten cycle of the muscle’s sarcomeres: n Trains a muscle’s elastic strength and explosiveness to enhance athletic performance n Exercises use explosive movements to develop muscular power n Acts on nerves, tendons and muscles n Enhances power output without necessarily increasing maximum strength capacity.

INJURY So what about when injury occurs, especially the acute stage of injury? This is the “domain” of practitioners, many of us would proclaim, but what if an athlete only has a coach to call on as a first point of information and support? At what point do we begin to impose loading on the injured tissue (for instance, a grade two hamstring tear)? A bi-articulate muscle group exposed to rapid eccentric loading during running and jumping, with a 50 per cent tear and subsequent bleeding will, over the course of the first few days, have a damaged area that is at risk, and which requires offloading (5). Yet some coaches tell the athletes in their care to apply heat then ice for 2 hours, then to load the tissue within 24 hours of injury! This regimen can have many ramifications regarding timelines and recovery. In the first instance, any amount of loading would disrupt the laying down of fibrin and would delay collagen development during the proliferation phase (5). Furthermore, any re-release of kinins, proteoglycins or other growth-related factors associated with the inflammatory cascade would cause further nociceptive irritation and sensitisation of afferent dorsal nerve route ganglia, which would in turn increase the likelihood of something as simple as a muscle tear (6,7). Appropriate management (waiting

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sportEX dynamics 2010;45(Jul):7-11

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