Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1 Department of Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
2 Department of Sports Biomechhanics, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Kerman
Abstract
Background: Cycling has been considered as a sports activity both in professional sports and in public sports. Excessive activity and fatigue are the main causes of injury during pedaling. The present research is aimed to determine the effect of a single bout of functional fatigue on proprioceptiveness and the degree of coordination and variability between lower extremity joints and segments in semi-skilled male cyclists.
Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental study that utilizes a pretest-posttest method and involved 24 randomly chosen semi-skilled male cyclists with a mean age of 26.32±5.72 years. Prior to inducing fatigue through cycling, a pretest and posttest were administered to assess the coordination and variability among segments of the lower extremities, as well as to evaluate the proprioception of the knee and ankle joints. These measurements were captured using a three-dimensional optoelectronic system comprising six cameras, operating at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz, which facilitated the acquisition of kinematic data pertaining to the lower extremities. Statistical analysis involved the implementation of a one-way repeated measures ANOVA test and a dependent t-test, enabling the comparison of all variables.
Results: The significance level in all statistical tests was 0.05. Findings showed that there was a significant increase in knee and ankle proprioceptiveness (P<0.001) and coordination and variability of lower extremity segments (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The presence of heightened proprioceptive errors in the joints, decreased coordination, and increased variability between segments highlights their association with sports injuries. Consequently, prolonged cycling and fatigue may contribute to an elevated prevalence and diversity of sports injuries among semi-skilled cyclists.
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