Date of Award

Fall 12-1-1994

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Physical Education

First Advisor

John E. Kovaleski

Abstract

Controversy still exists regarding the use of isokinetic and isotonic exercise in rehabilitation of the injured athlete. Many studies have compared these two types of training methods on various strength measures and functional activity, but have focused on open kinetic chain training. The purposes of this investigation were to determine: 1) which form of closed kinetic chain training, isokinetic or isotonic, would produce the greatest increase in one-legged jump reaction force; and 2) which training method most accurately predicts peak force produced during a one-legged jump. Forty-two legs from 21 female volunteer subjects were used. Each subject had her dominant and nondominant extremities identified, and each extremity was randomly assigned to either isokinetic training, isotonic training, or control. Both training groups trained using a leg press exercise 3 days a week for 5 weeks, while the control extremities did not train for 5 weeks. The isokinetic extremities were trained using a velocity spectrum (2 sets of 10 repetitions at each speed: 60, 180 and 240 degjsec) and the isotonic extremities trained using the DAPRE technique. Strength gains were calculated two ways: 1) all extremities were tested for percent change in peak one-legged jump reaction force, and 2) percent change for peak force produced at 60 degjsec was calculated for isokinetic-trained extremities, and percent change of the fourth set working weight of the DAPRE technique was calculated to determine isotonic strength differences. Onelegged jump change (3.8%, 2.4%, 3.1%) was not different for the three groups (F(2,36)=.274, p=.737). Both isokinetic (t(24)=5.8, p<.0005) and isotonic (t(26)=9.5, p<.0005) groups increased after strength training, but these changes did not correlate with changes in one-legged jump reaction force (r=.134, p=.66 and r= -.470, p=.09, respectively). These results suggest that changes in neither isokinetic force nor isotonic weight lifted, developed in a non-weight bearing closed kinetic chain, directly translate into increased force production during a functional activity.

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