Henderson FJ, Konishi Y, Shima N, Shimokochi Y. Effects of 8-Week Exhausting Deep Knee Flexion Flywheel Training on Persistent Quadriceps Weakness in Well-Trained Athletes Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022;
19:13209. [PMID:
36293790 PMCID:
PMC9602677 DOI:
10.3390/ijerph192013209]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Persistent quadriceps weakness after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a common hurdle to efficient rehabilitation. Therefore, we evaluated a new treatment strategy for athletes with ACL reconstruction. Eleven athletes with unilateral ACL reconstruction performed one set of flywheel Bulgarian split squats to exhaustion with a maximum knee extension of 60°, over 16 sessions, on their reconstructed limb. Quadriceps rate of force development (RFD) 0-50 ms (RFD0-50 ms), and 0-150 ms (RFD0-150 ms), maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), and central activation ratio (CAR) were measured bilaterally on the week before and after the intervention. In the reconstructed limb, the RFD0-50 ms (p = 0.04; Cohen's d = 0.8) and RFD0-150 ms (p = 0.03; d = 0.9) increased after training. Before-after changes in MVIC and CAR were not significant (p > 0.05), but the lower the baseline MVIC, the greater the gain in MVIC (r = -0.71, p = 0.02). The between-leg difference in MVIC changed from large before (p = 0.01; d = 0.8) to small after training (p = 0.04; d = 0.4). One set of deep knee flexion flywheel Bulgarian split squats to exhaustion improved quadriceps deficits in well-trained athletes with ACL-reconstruction, particularly those with relatively low quadriceps force production.
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