The effects of strengthening exercises on the hip abduction musculature in professional female basketball players

Aim: Rapid acceleration and landing after the jump, typical of basketball game, are identified as mechanisms of acute injury to the knee (Devita et al 1992).The role of muscle strength of the hip according to the authors has a relationship with the injuries prevention.(Niemuth et al 2005).The aim of this study is evaluate the influence of exercise program on hip abduction strength in female basketball players. Methods: Forty-one professional female basketball players (24,6±3 y-o; 70.9±7.4 kg; 178.6±6.8 cm; 22.3±1.7 kg/m2) were involved in a 6-wks protocol consisting of 3 session/week with 4 exercises in according with Selkowitz et al. All subjects were divided in two groups: 22 in the “experimental group” and 19 in a “control group” that performed the normal training routine of physical and technical basketball drills. Subjects were tested at baseline (BL) and at week 6 (W6). Hip abduction muscles strength is measured with a handheld dynamometer (Lafayette Inst.) The test were in sidelying position and selected based on their similarity to traditional manual muscle testing procedures in according to Kendall et al. Results: All participants completed the 6 weeks program, A paired T-test and a unpaired T-test were used respectively to assess pre-post differences within groups and between groups. Results were expressed as mean ± SD. Significant differences were found at p<0.05 The experimental group at W6 showed significant improvements in hip abduction strength, in right (ES0,6) and left (ES0,4) limbs, calculate in term of torque (strength = ((MMT reading in netwons)*distance/bodyweight in kilograms. The control group did not show any significant difference at W6 compared to BL. Significant difference between groups with unpaired t-test. Conclusions: The study shows how, by a simple and short program of exercising to strengthen the hip muscles that con¬trol how hip moves has a significant influence on the hip abduction strength in professional female basketball players. References Kendall et al.(1995)Testing of manual examination. W.B. Saunders: Philadelphia. Selkowitz et al. (2013) J Orthop Sports Phys Ther..4116. Thorborg K.et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports (2010): 20: 493–501 Niemuth et al Clinical journal of sport medicine. (2005) Vol 15 –issue 1 pag 14-21 Devita et al. American college of sport medicine. (1992) Vol 24 –issue 1