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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
THE EFFICACY OF THE ROM DEVICE
AS AN ERGOGENIC AID
WITH RESPECT TO SELECT MEASURES OF
POWER GENERATION, FLEXIBILITY AND SPEED
BY
BRIAN MATTHEW HICKEY, PhD
Fall, 2000
The Effects of a Flexibility Enhancement Program on Athletic Performance
Brian-Matthew Hickey, PhD
Florida State University
© 2000
(Abstract)
When examining the critical factors that contribute to high level athletic performance, flexibility is one of the key items. It has been hypothesized that improving an athlete's flexibility may allow them to be more successful in their chosen athletic endeavor. More specifically, speed, the most vital determinant of athletic success, may be significantly improved by incorporating some form of flexibility enhancement into an athlete's training program.
Recently, a scientific study was conducted to examine whether or not including a specific form of flexibility training in an athlete's daily training routine would improve sprint performance. In this study, 30 men age 20-35, who exercised an average of 7.5 hours per week during the six months prior to the study served as subjects. Their preferred modes of training were free weights and cardiovascular machines (Stairmaster, stationary bicycle etc.). Fifteen individuals included twice daily, five minute flexibility sessions into their exercise routine, thereby acting as the treatment group. The second group served as the control and did not incorporate any additional flexibility training into their pre- existing training program. Flexibility was assessed by a sit and reach test, power through a vertical jump test and speed by a 40 meter dash. The results, expressed as percent improvement from the pre test to the post test, are as follows:
Percent Improvement from Pre Test to Post Test
|
|
Flexibility |
Power |
Speed |
|
Treatment group |
64% |
10% |
5% |
|
Control group |
9% |
0% |
0% |
These results indicate that supplementing an athlete's daily training routine with flexibility training is a promising way to increase athletic performance. In essence a cascade of events is set into motion. Flexibility improves, which in turn positively affects power generation, thereby augmenting speed.
In this study, the Intracell Stick was used by the treatment group as the flexibility enhancing modality that was added to their training program. The Intracell Stick is a 24 inch instrument, containing 14, one inch free-moving spindles that rotate around a semi-flexible core. By applying rolling pressure to muscles following a workout, blood flow is increased. As a result, waste products from various metabolic processes are removed, recovery is enhanced and soreness reduced. An additional benefit of using The Intracell Stick is that it allows the user to locate and treat specific tender areas in the musculature. This allows the user to give attention to both the weakest and strongest regions of each muscle, promoting development of the entire range of motion.
The results of this study demonstrate that the Intracell Stick has the potential to improve athletic performance through increasing muscle flexibility, thereby improving power, speed and the ability to recover faster from intense training.
Power is often the deciding factor in athletic performance. This explosive strength becomes especially critical in anaerobic events. Essential considerations in the generation of highly explosive power are muscle structure and the rate at which muscles can generate force. The velocity of contraction, with respect to maintaining a high degree of force output, further moderates top anaerobic performance (Kraemer & Newton, 1994).
The manifestation of power in the running gait is speed. Sprinting speed is a function of biomechanical form, maintenance of maximal velocity, improved acceleration to maximum velocity and an increase in both stride length and stride frequency (Dintiman, Ward & Tellez 1997).
As delineated by the five components of fitness, muscle flexibility is an integral component of optimal human performance. Athletes possessing a high degree of flexibility traditionally demonstrate an increased proficiency in movements which are fundamental to athletic performance, and are able to perform at the zenith of their potential without injury, when contrasted with their less flexible counterparts (Bonci & Belcher, 1994). Furthermore, the inflexible muscle is predisposed to injury (Wang, Whitney, Burbett, & Janosky, 1993). Consequently, athletes who exhibit reduced levels of flexibility are at risk for experiencing the negative duality of reduced performance and increased risk of injury. With respect to ergogenic properties, stretching, a modality for flexibility enhancement, prepares the muscle for vigorous activity (Liston, 1999).
A sure fire way to improve power generation, hence athletic performance, is through the implementation of a flexibility enhancement program (Girouard & Hurley, 1995). Hamstring flexibility may be significantly improved in as little as three weeks via a passive stretching program (Godges, MacRae, & Engle, 1993). Daily employment of either static, dynamic or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching modalities has been shown to improve flexibility and associated measures of localized muscular strength and endurance in less than two months (Kokkonen & Lauritzen, 1995; Lucas & Koslow, 1984). Additionally, benefits from the long run augmentation of flexibility include the prevention of sprains and strains (Bonci & Belcher, 1994).
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects associated with the employment of a self massage program using the ROM Device on anaerobic sprint performance, and field tests of flexibility and power.
In order to examine the efficacy of employing the ROM Device as an ergogenic aid, with respect to flexibility, power and speed, the following questions needed to be addressed:
1. Does implementation of a self massage program utilizing the ROM Device improve 40 meter dash performance?
2. Does implementation of a self massage program utilizing the ROM Device improve vertical jump performance?
3. Does implementation of a self massage program utilizing the ROM Device improve sit and reach test performance?
The results of this study may impact anaerobic performance in a variety of ways. First and foremost, an absolute improvement in 40 meter dash performance may indicate that regular use of the ROM Device could improve linear, anaerobic sprinting performance. Second, an absolute improvement in vertical jump may indicate that regular use of the ROM Device could improve the development of lower limb muscular power. Third, an absolute improvement in sit and reach score may indicate that regular use of the ROM Device could improve hamstring and lower back flexibility.
Significant results from this study may lend credence to the belief that improved flexibility is an integral component in enhanced power, which in turn may positively affect running speed. Furthermore, this study may demonstrate that a commitment to a flexibility enhancement modality could serve as an ergogenic aid with respect to anaerobic activities.
In providing a theoretical and practical basis for this study, this review of literature will address four areas. First, there will be an examination of the paradigm of power generation as it applies to anaerobic athletic events. Second, flexibility enhancing modalities which are currently accepted as ergogenics within the context of the athletic arena will be discussed. Third, the time course of adaptation to training stimuli will be discussed. Last, the void in current literature as it pertains to aforementioned topics will be scrutinized.
In short duration activities, the ability to develop force very rapidly is a key determinant to success. However, the ability to develop a high level of force is not as important as the ability to develop a high level of force in a very small time frame. The development of muscle mass and absolute strength are the foundation of power generation, but in isolation possessing a high degree of these qualities may actually hinder athletic performance (Staley, 2000). In light of the pre-existing limits of human physiology, the sport sciences are challenged with the formidable task of continually unearthing ways in which to shift the force - velocity curve to the left. Such a transition will reduce the time frame necessary to generate performance specific force. Hence, an increase in power will follow. By improving an athlete's flexibility, it is intuitive that range of motion will be improved. It is hypothesized that an increase in flexibility will lead to an improvement in power and a resulting leftward shift of the force - velocity curve (Gordon, Huxley & Julian, 1966).
Power may be defined as the greatest possible neuromuscular impulse generated over a given time period (Schmidtbleicher, 1992). Maximal rate of force development, explosive strength, is the neuromuscular system's ability to produce a contraction at very high velocities. Power is further moderated by the initial rate of force development. This construct can best be described as starting strength, or the amount of power generated when a movement pattern is initiated. As the interval of the force producing cycle decreases to a duration below 250 ms per cycle, maximal rate of force development and initial rate of force development are the main determinants of success. The dominant factor in actions lasting in excess of 250 ms per cycle is maximal strength (Schmidtbleicher, 1992).