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Improper dynamic knee joint alignment during pivoting and jumping tasks is associated with large joint, tendon and ligament forces and may lead to both overuse and acute knee injuries like patellofemoral pain (PFP) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Due to athletes’ jumping ability being a key component in basketball and volleyball, both athletes and coaches research search for different methods to enhance vertical jump (VJ) performance. Biomechanical variables including decreased knee flexion angle and internal knee extension moment and increased knee abduction angle and internal knee abduction moment during the landing phase of jumping activities are important risk factors for injury that can be altered by implementing a Pilates exercise program. These are also important variables in jumping ability and can also be altered by implementing a Pilates exercise program. Collegiate athletes experience high levels of anxiety that can alter their performance as well as commitment to performance. Competitive state anxiety was the dependent variable chosen to assess athlete’s mental health. Eight subjects were randomly assigned to either the intervention (Pilates) group (n=4) or the control group (n=4). The intervention (Pilates) group participated in two sessions per week for a duration of four weeks in the Pilates exercise program. Analysis of these biomechanical variables during a countermovement jump (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) using Visual 3D was done in two time points (pre and post program). Analysis of the mental health variable was done in two time points as well (pre and post program). Only the left knee CMJ extension moment showed increased values in the intervention (Pilates) group (p=0.007). This increase is important for a proper landing from a jump with controlled knee joint motion and consequently, reduced knee injury risk during the DJ. The intervention (Pilates) group did show other trends for biomechanical improvement, as well as for the competitive state anxiety. This could mean that even though the Pilates program was only four weeks, it was enough to start seeing some changes regarding the variables assessing the performance in the jump height and injury prevention, but not enough to see changes in the athlete’s mental health.
Advisor: | Valenzuela, Kevin |
Commitee: | Crussemeyer, Jill A., Madrigal, Leilani |
School: | California State University, Long Beach |
Department: | Kinesiology |
School Location: | United States -- California |
Source: | MAI 82/3(E), Masters Abstracts International |
Source Type: | DISSERTATION |
Subjects: | Biomechanics, Psychology, Kinesiology |
Keywords: | Basketball, Biomechanics, Collegiate athletes, Injury prevention, Sport psychology, Volleyball |
Publication Number: | 27834430 |
ISBN: | 9798664789850 |