Deepika Singla

Methods of Postural Assessment Used for Sports Persons

Occurrence of postural defects has become very common now-a-days not only in general population but also in sports persons. There are various methods which can be used to assess these postural defects. These methods have evolved over a period of many years. This paper is first of its kind to summarize the methods of postural assessment which have been used and which can be used for evaluation of postural abnormalities in sports persons such as the visual observation, plumbline, goniometry, photographic, radiographic, photogrammetric, flexiruler, electromagnetic tracking device etc. We recommend more and more postural evaluation studies to be done in future based on the photogrammetric method.

Co-Existence of hypertension worsens post-exercise cardiac autonomic recovery in type 2 diabetes

Background Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a commonly overlooked complication of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) characterized by imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic supply to the heart. The susceptibility of heart to dysrhythmias and fatal events increases during and after exercise due to a shift in autonomic regulation. Diabetes and hypertension (HTN) frequently occur concurrently and both conditions lead to impaired cardiac autonomic control. However, their impact together on post-exercise autonomic recovery remains to be explored. Objective The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of co-existence of HTN on cardiac autonomic recovery (assessed by heart rate recovery and heart rate variability) in patients with T2DM. Methods Forty eight type 2 diabetic patients (24 normotensive, 24 hypertensive), 24 non-diabetic patients with essential HTN, and 27 healthy controls, were recruited into the study and assessed for heart rate recovery (HRR) following a graded maximal test. Also, heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded before and following the bout of maximal exercise. Results Heart rate recovery at 1 (HRR1min) and 2 (HRR2min) minute(s) showed significant effects for DM (p < 0.001) and HTN (p < 0.001), while DM × HTN interaction was found to be non-significant. Resting HRV showed a significant decline in time-domain variables for the DM group (p < 0.01). Recovery of HRV showed a significant effect of time (p < 0.05) for all indices, the group effect was found significant only for time-domain measures (p < 0.05). Conclusion Both HRR and HRV recovery were impaired in DM and HTN. Moreover, the co-existence of HTN had a synergistic effect, causing further worsening of autonomic recovery in T2DM.

Photogrammetric Assessment of Upper Body Posture Using Postural Angles: A Literature Review

Objective: The purpose of this paper was to review the literature regarding the measurement properties of various angles used for postural assessment of the head, neck, shoulder, and thorax and to discuss the utility of these measures. Methods: The inclusion criteria for this literature review were use of postural angles to assess posture, measurement of upper body posture, and research studies conducted in last 3 decades that had free full‐text available online entirely in the English language. The exclusion criteria were review articles; studies involving subjects having obesity, visual problems, any history of surgery, respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, or congenital pathology or disease; and research studies in which postural angles were measured with respect to vertical only. The following databases were searched: PubMed Central, PubMed, ResearchGate, Springer Link, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Scielo through February 20, 2016. Results: A total of 21 studies that were found to be best suited to explain the craniovertebral (CV) angle, sagittal head tilt, sagittal shoulder‐C7 angle, coronal head tilt, coronal shoulder angle, and thoracic kyphosis angle were included in this review. Craniovertebral angle, sagittal head tilt, sagittal shoulder‐C7 angle, coronal head tilt, and coronal shoulder angle possess moderate to high intrarater reliability. Craniovertebral angle, sagittal head tilt, sagittal shoulder‐C7 angle and thoracic kyphosis angle possess high interrater reliability (except for sagittal head tilt when measured using the goniometer). Craniovertebral angle, sagittal head tilt, and sagittal shoulder‐C7 angle have been proved to be valid measures of posture when compared with similar angles measured on radiographs. None of the studies reported intrarater reliability of thoracic kyphosis angle, interrater reliability of coronal head tilt and coronal shoulder angle, and validity of coronal angles and thoracic kyphosis angle. Conclusions: We found several reliable methods to measure the postures of the head, neck, shoulder, and thoracic regions by measuring the CV angle, sagittal head tilt, sagittal shoulder‐C7 angle, and thoracic kyphosis angle, respectively. Standardization of methods for angular measurement is recommended so that there is uniformity among studies regarding camera height, participant‐camera distance, and type of software to generate normative data for postural angles.

Correlation Between Upper Body Balance, Muscle Strength, and Power in Cricketers Belonging to Different Age Groups

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess correlation between variables of upper body balance, muscular strength, and power in cricketers belonging to different age groups. Methods Forty‐eight healthy male cricketers (26 adolescents aged 14‐17 years and 22 adults aged 18‐25 years) were recruited from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. After a warm‐up, the participants underwent Upper Quarter Y Balance Test, backward overhead medicine ball throw test, and back‐strength testing in a random order. Results Values of the Pearson correlation coefficient for muscle strength and upper body power were found to be 0.397 and 0.499 for adolescent and adult cricketers, respectively. Correlation coefficient values for upper body balance and strength range from ‐0.008 to 0.05 and 0.325 to 0.414 and for upper body balance and power range from 0.059 to 0.062 and 0.133 to 0.153 for adolescent and adult cricketers, respectively. Conclusion Statistically significant, moderate‐sized correlations were demonstrated between muscular strength and upper body power in adolescent and adult cricketers. However, no correlations existed between upper body balance and power and upper body balance and muscular strength in these athletes.

Reliability of Electromyographic Assessment of Biceps Brachii and Triceps Brachii in Cricketers

Objective The purpose of this study is to determine the intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability of electromyographic assessment of biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles in cricketers. Methods Sixteen healthy male cricketers (ages 14‐35 years) recruited from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India were tested on 2 occasions that were held 1 week apart. On the first occasion, only examiner 1 performed the testing; on the second occasion, examiner 1, examiner 2, and examiner 3 all performed testing. While testing for surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of BB and TB muscles, participants were asked to produce maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), which was to be held for 5 seconds against the resistance provided by an examiner. Participants performed 3 MVICs per muscle per examiner, with a rest interval of 3 minutes between consecutive contractions. Intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement, and minimum detectable change were calculated to determine the reliability of repeated sEMG measurements. Results Nonsignificant differences were observed for the 2 trials completed by examiner 1 (paired t test) and testing done by all 3 examiners (repeated measures analysis of variance) at P < .05 for both BB and TB. Intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged from .84 to .86 for BB and .89 to .98 for TB. Standard error of measurement (minimum detectable change) was .052 (.144) mV and .041 (.114) mV for BB intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability testing, respectively, and .018 (.051) mV and .043 (.119) mV for TB intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability testing. Ninety‐five percent of the mean differences between almost all of the repeated measurements were found to lie within the agreement intervals estimated by Bland‐Altman plots. Conclusion This preliminary study suggests that sEMG is a reliable tool with excellent intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability for assessing the activity of BB and TB muscles in male cricketers. These findings suggest that sEMG can be used to assess MVIC activity of these muscles in clinical settings, as well as in research area.

Association between handgrip strength and back strength in adolescent and adult cricket players

Abstract Background Although a significant amount of research has been conducted on handgrip strength and its association with anthropometric variables, very few researchers have focused on assessment of back strength and its relationship with anthropometric variables in cricketers. Objective To investigate the degree of correlation between handgrip strength and back strength in cricket players of different maturity levels and to find the correlations of handgrip strength and back strength with anthropometric variables of age, height, body weight and body mass index (BMI). Methods Twenty-four adolescents; aged 16.6 ± 0.8 years and 32 adult cricketers aged 24 ± 4.6 years were tested for height, body weight, BMI, hand grip strength and back strength. t values, Cohen’s d and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated. Results Hand grip strength and back strength were not found to correlate with each other at p ≤ 0.05 in adolescent players while a statistically significant large sized correlation was observed in adult cricketers at p = 0.001. Back strength and body weight were found to have a statistically significant moderate sized correlation with each other (r = 0.453 in the adolescent group and r = 0.355 in the adult group). Significant positive correlations were observed for left hand grip strength with height, body weight and BMI and also between back strength and age in the adult population of cricketers. Conclusion A significantly large correlation exists between handgrip strength and back strength in adult cricketers with no such correlation found for adolescent cricketers. Data of the present study justify its utility in the case of selection, assessment and rehabilitation of cricket players.

Association Between Forward Head, Rounded Shoulders, and Increased Thoracic Kyphosis: A Review of the Literature

Objective: The purpose of this review was to explore the association between forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and increased thoracic kyphosis. Methods: The PubMed, ERIC, and Cochrane databases were searched using the key words posture, head, shoulder, forward scapular posture, and thoracic kyphosis through December 2016. Results: Our initial search yielded 6840 research studies, 6769 of which were excluded because they either were duplicates or did not satisfy the inclusion criteria. After the abstracts of the remaining studies were read, 15 were assessed for eligibility, and only 4 papers were included in the present review. Cervical lordosis values were found to be significantly associated with thoracic kyphosis values. Also, there were significant correlations between rounded shoulders and increased thoracic kyphosis. Conclusion: Forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and increased thoracic kyphosis can exist alone or in any combination.

Complex Training: An Update

The term ‘complex training’ refers to a training mode which combines one set of strength training with a comparable set of plyometric exercises in same training session and is believed to enhance the quality of the plyometric training stimulus. This idea of combining biomechanically similar exercises is proposed to be a favourable strategy for improving rate of force development and dynamic power by better neuromuscular control. High-intensity resistance training creates an optimal training state for the subsequent plyometric bout by means of neuromuscular, hormonal, metabolic, myogenic, and psychomotor factors that allow it to serve as a strategy for continued neural adaptations. This review aims to present the current body of knowledge regarding the effects of complex training, discussing in brief, its mechanism, the various training variables that might act to confound its efficacy and finally, its comparison with other popular modes of training. In conclusion, complex training appears to be a safe and effective mode yielding gains of both strength and power training in the same session, however, further research is warranted to better understand the operating physiological mechanisms and to derive more concrete results regarding the most optimal training variables.