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- Neuromuscular taping does not change fibularis longus latency time and postural swayPublication . Correia, Christophe; Lopes, Susana; Gonçalves, Rafael; Torres, Rui; Gonçalves, Pedro; Rodrigues, Mário; Costa, Rui; Lopes, Mário; Ribeiro, FernandoAnkle sprains are a common injury and fibularis longus plays an important role improving functional stability. Neuromuscular tape seems to improve muscle force, although little is known regarding its effect on latency time.
- The effect of kinesiology tape on knee proprioception in healthy subjectsPublication . Torres, Rui; Trindade, Raquel; Gonçalves, Rui SolesKinesiology tape can improve athletic performance; however, due to cutaneous stimulation its application can have an influence on proprioception. Objectives To determine the effects of kinesiology tape on knee proprioception applied to quadriceps, namely in the joint position sense (JPS) and in the threshold to detect passive movement (TTDPM), both immediately after and 24 h after its application. Methods Thirty young healthy participants were randomly divided into experimental and control group. In the experimental group, a kinesiology tape on the quadriceps muscle was applied. The JPS and the TTDPM of the knee was assessed before, immediately after and 24 h after the kinesiology tape intervention. Results No significant differences were found in the assessment made before intervention. The Friedman Test showed that kinesiology tape had no influence on JPS in either group over time (p > 0.05). However, the TTDPM decreased significantly immediately after and 24 h after its application (p < 0.05).
- The influence of upper limb immobilization on lower limb muscular activity during the sit-to-stand taskPublication . Leal, Viviana; Ventura, Liliana; Lopes, Alfredo; Mesquita, Inês; Torres, Rui; Castro, MarceloThe aim of this study was to compare the magnitude and pattern of lower limb muscular activity during the sit-to-stand (STS) task with and without upper limb immobilization. The activity of six muscles from each lower limb (Rectus Femoris, Vastus Medialis, Biceps Femoris, Tibialis Anterior, Gastrocnemius Medialis and Soleus) were recorded while 19 young healthy participants performed the STS task with and without an arm sling on their dominant side. Myoelectric signals were collected using BioPlux Research device, and two Bertec force platforms were used to determine different phases of the STS task. The peak of muscular activity and muscle onset times were calculated, two general linear models with an alpha of 0.05 were used between the conditions with and without upper limb immobilization. We found no statistically significant differences in the onset of lower limb muscular activity, and we observed decreased peak of muscular activity in the Rectus Femoris at the immobilized side and an increased peak in the Vastus Medialis at the side opposite to the upper limb immobilized compared to the control condition. We did observe differences in the magnitude of ipsilateral Rectus Femoris and contralateral Vastus Medialis as a consequence of upper limb immobilization.
- Impact of Patellar Tendinopathy on Knee ProprioceptionPublication . Torres, Rui; Ferreira, João; Silva, Diogo C. F.; Rodrigues, Elisa; Bessa, Isabel M.; Ribeiro, FernandoObjective: To determine whether high-level athletes with patellar tendinopathy have diminished knee proprioceptive acuity. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: University research laboratory (institutional). Participants: Twenty-one basketball and volleyball players with patellar tendinopathy (13 men and 8 women; mean age 24.5 6 3.6; body mass index = 22.5 6 2.0 kg/m2) and an equal number of athletes without symptoms of patellar tendinopathy injury were included in this study. Assessments: Participants underwent knee proprioception assessments on a single day. Furthermore, age, sex, height, weight, VISAP (Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment) questionnaire sports participation, medical history, knee injuries, previous treatment, and medication were obtained. Main Outcome Measures: Knee proprioception was evaluated by assessing sense of resistance, using a weight discrimination protocol, and joint position sense (JPS). Results: No significant differences were observed in JPS at 30 and 60 degrees of knee flexion between groups (P = 0.165 and 0.481, respectively). In regard to the ability to discriminate weight, significant differences between the 2 groups were found with the tendinopathy group showing a higher percentage of error (P = 0.009), namely when the set of incremental weights varied by 10% from the standard weight. Conclusions: Athletes with patellar tendinopathy have a diminished perception of force signals required for weight discrimination, whereas JPS remains unaffected in these athletes.
- Cold-Water Immersion Has No Effect on Muscle Stiffness After Exercise-Induced Muscle DamagePublication . Pinto, João; Rocha, Pedro; Torres, RuiObjective: To analyze the effect of cryotherapy on muscle stiffness after exercise-induced muscle damage. Design: A leg-to-leg comparison model. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Thirty (30) untrained men (21.1 ± 1.6 years, 177.6 ± 6.4 cm, 75.9 ± 10.0 kg, and 15.9 ± 2.9% fat mass) with no history of lower-limb injury and no experience in resistance training. Intervention: All participants underwent a plyometric exercise program to induce muscle damage; however, randomly, one leg was assigned to a treatment condition and subjected twice to cold-water immersion of the lower limb at 10°C (±1°C) for 10 minutes, while the other leg was assigned to control. Main Outcomes Measures: Longitudinal stiffness and passive transverse stiffness were evaluated on the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles at 4 moments: pre-exercise, immediately after exercise, 24 hours, and 72 hours after the damage protocol. Furthermore, pressure pain threshold (PPT) and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) were also assessed in the same periods. Results: No significant differences between control and cryotherapy were observed in regard to MVIC (P = 0.529), passive longitudinal stiffness (P = 0.315), and passive transverse stiffness (P = 0.218). Only a significant decrease was observed in PPT on the soleus muscle in the cryotherapy compared with the control leg immediately after exercise (P = 0.040). Conclusions: The results show that cryotherapy had no influence on muscle stiffness. However, cryotherapy had a positive effect on PPT immediately after exercise.