Dear Dr Siff,
Thanks for providing details of this interesting
article.
I have an interest in rehabilitation of patients with anterior cruciate
ligament deficiency.
There is evidence that exercise programmes which include dynamic stability
work or
"perturbation training" have better outcomes in terms of return to sports
than programmes where
the emphasis is purely on strenthening the lower limb musculature.
Muscles can be strong,but if they don't function as they should when the
joint is put under stress,this is not
particularly helpful.With ACL disruption,the loss of proprioception from the
joint impairs the motor
output to the surrounding musculature.This surely provides a rationale
behind using balance exercises,
rhythmic stabilisations etc in this context,rather than working purely on
weight training to increase strength.
I would welcome your comments on these views.I also wonder if you have any
comments on my
question on the resting length of muscles which I put on the list a couple
of weeks ago.
Thanks in
anticipation,
Nigel Biggs
Physiotherapist,UK
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 17 November 2000 00:40
Subject: Weight Training for Stability
>The following is one of many which show that improvements in motor skill
and
>the ability to stabilise the body play a major role in the acquisition of
>strength and the ability to use it in specific activities.
>
>I have selected this article out of numerous others to support an earlier
>contention of mine that a well designed weight training program probably is
>more than adequate to enhance one's stability and 'functional' strength
>without any need for the use of specialised 'functional conditioning' or
ball
>balancing regimes. The research is out there - why is that so many fitness
>gurus and therapists do not seem to be willing to accept the obvious?
Note
>that I have not even cited studies on the motor skill and postural
>improvements produced by other more demanding skilled activities like
>gymnastics. It appears that even quite basic weight training exercises
are
>quite sufficient to "do the trick".
>
>Sure, theremay be no special harm in performing various basic balancing
>routines, but, as I commented in earlier letters, we have to examine
training
>economics and judge whether or not the time being spent on additional
>stabilising sessions is the most efficient way of spending valuable
athletic
>training time.
>
>Read the following abstract and pay special attention to the conclusion.
>
>
>---------------------------------
>
>Rutherford OM & Jones DA The role of learning and coordination in strength
>training. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1986;55(1):100-5
>
>The central changes associated with a period of strength training have been
>investigated in a group of 32
>young healthy volunteers. Subjects participated in one of three 12 week
>training programmes, which required different degrees of skill and
>coordination. Study 1 consisted of unilateral isometric training of the
>quadriceps with the contralateral leg acting as a control, the apparatus
>providing firm back support and a lap strap. In Study 2 training consisted
of
>unilateral concentric leg-extension with back support and hand-grips. In
>Study 3 subjects performed bilateral leg-extension with no back support.
>Measurements of maximum voluntary isometric strength were made at 2-3 week
>intervals and a continual record was kept of the weights lifted in Studies
2
>and 3.
>
>The largest increase in isometric force was seen for the trained leg in
Study
>1 (approximately 40%). There was no significant change in strength in the
>contralateral untrained leg. In Studies 2 and 3 there was a large increase
in
>training weights (about 200%) associated with smaller increase in isometric
>force (15-20%).
>
>It is concluded that a large part of the improvement in the ability to lift
>weights was due to an increased ability to coordinate other muscle groups
>involved in the movement such as those used to stabilise the body. The
>importance of these findings for athletic training and rehabilitation is
>discussed.
>
>-------------------------------
>
>Dr Mel C Siff
>Denver, USA
>http://www.egroups.com/group/supertraining
>
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