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INTRODUCING THE GYMNASTICS AUSTRALIA SPORTS SCIENCE SPORTS MEDICINE COMMITTEE |
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The SSSMC has been established this year and is already working hard to promote and coordinate research, communication, servicing, education and injury prevention in gymnastics sports. This committee reports to GA Board and will have a close relationship the Elite Management Committees. Members include;
In the coming months, GA’s SSSMC will establish a register for current Australian research of relevance to gymnastics sports. We will also complete and trial a core stability screening program for 9-12 year old athletes and promote a coach and provider education workshop.
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THIS MONTH’S HOT TOPIC |
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Whole body vibration training has experienced a lot of interest recently in research, strength and conditioning and rehabilitation circles. But is it a passing fad or is there evidence? In 2005 and 2006 there have been several research projects published that provide some information of interest to gymnastics. Delecluse et al (Int J Sports Med 2005; 26: 662-668) took sprint-trained athletes and exposed them to a 5-week program of WBV (sustained and dynamic lunges, squats and calf raises for 30 to 60 seconds on a vibration platform). They found that against a group of controls, there was no difference in sprint performance, strength or counter-movement jump at the end of the training period. This contrasts previous research although subjects were elite athletes who have potential for much smaller gains to performance than untrained subjects. Much of the prior promising results for WBV was amongst post-menopausal women (positive for bone density and strength) and untrained subjects. In honesty, even very small, statistically insignificant gains would be of interest to elite athletes.
Cochrane and Stannard showed that WBV training increased vertical jump and flexibility in elite hockey players (Br J Sports Med 2005; 39: 860-865). They looked at the immediate effects to one exposure of 5 minutes vibration. Arm countermovement vertical jump improved significantly (by 8%). This study did not look at longer term effects and it is assumed that this is an acute effect that might attenuate within minutes as seen in research by Cormie et al (J Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006, 20(2) 257-261).
In a review article accepted for publication in 2006, Rehn and co-workers conclude that there is strong to moderate evidence that long-term WBV increases leg muscle strength among untrained subjects and elderly women. There is no clear evidence for elite athletes.
How do supporters propose that WBV works? In their hockey research, Cochrane and Stannard believe that the power gains related to “neural enhancement through increased sensitivity of the stretch reflex mechanism”. This appears in direct contrast to their own results which showed increased flexibility! Delecluse et al suggest that WBV provokes muscle length changes which stimulate muscle spindles, eliciting the ‘tonic vibration reflex’. There is also some thought that there is hormonal adjustment including testosterone and growth hormone. Fair to say at this point that there is no clear consensus and that there has been no effective research into the mechanism behind WBV.
Taking into consideration the research currently available, I believe that the jury is still out on the potential for utilising WBV training for gymnastics. There is no consensus in the literature about the exact mechanism by which WBV effects the neuromuscular system. There is no consistency for application of exercises – time, position, dynamic versus static etc. I am fairly convinced that gymnastics training of the future will involve some WBV. Perhaps in warm-up immediately prior to floor and vault routines, perhaps as part of rehabilitation to stimulate fast-twitch muscle contraction and maximise recruitment. What do you think? Have your say.
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FEEDBACK |
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That’s it for this first edition. Please be an active contributor – any feedback is valuable and welcomed. Contact us if you would like to contribute or provide a topic of your own.
Keren Faulkner For GA SSSMC
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