Affiliation:
1. Federation University Australia, Institute of Health of Health and
Wellbeing, Victoria Australia.
2. Southern Connecticut State University, Human Performance Laboratory,
Connecticut USA.
3. Yale University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation,
Connecticut USA.
4. Yale University, Department of Athletics, Connecticut
USA.
Abstract
AbstractThe objective of this investigation was to compare isokinetic strength,
countermovement jump and drop jump variables between high-contributors and
low-contributors within NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s
lacrosse athletes. Men’s (N=36) and Women’s
(N=30) NCAA Division I lacrosse athletes completed strength testing of
the quadriceps and hamstring across three speeds
(60°·s−1,
180°·s−1,
300°·s−1), countermovement and drop
jumps. To determine the discriminative ability of select lower-limb strength and
power characteristics participants were categorized as high-contributors
(Males N=18, age=20.3±0.4 yrs,
height=183.9±5.5 cm,
mass=90.8±5.8 kg; Females N=15,
age=20.8±0.8 yrs,
height=169.3±6.7 cm,
mass=64.1±7.2 kg) or low-contributors (Males
N=18, age=19.5±0.2 yrs,
height=184.1±5.6 cm;
mass=87.9±8.1 kg; Females N=15,
age=19.7±0.2 yrs,
height=169.8±7.0 cm,
mass=62.9±7.7 kg ) based upon the number of
games the participants competed in during the regular season. Within the male
cohort, moderate significant (p<0.05) differences were observed between
high-contributors and low-contributors in isokinetic hamstring strength of the
left leg at 300°·s−1 (d=0.69) and
peak power in countermovement jump (d=0.68). Within the
women’s cohort a large (d=0.87) significant difference
(p<0.05) in isokinetic strength of the left hamstring was observed
between high-contributors and low-contributors at
60°·s−1. Hamstring strength and
lower-limb power are important strength measures for lacrosse performance and
should be prioritized in training prescription for lacrosse athletes.
Subject
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation