| dc.description.abstract | Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. The increase in the sport’s
popularity is paralleled with an increased prevalence of knee injuries. Knee braces are commonly
worn in athletic populations to prevent knee injuries. The biomechanics of wearing knee bracing
have been well documented, with studies showing reduced vertical ground reaction forces. One
concern with wearing knee braces, however, has been the possible effect on sports performance,
the research examining this topic has been confounding. Some studies have shown that agility
time has improved during an agility T-test, while others have shown no change in agility time.
To date, no studies have examined the effects of knee bracing on reactive agility performance.
The measurement of neuromuscular activity is known as electromyography. Electromyography
is also another area of interest with regards to sport performance. To date, there is limited
research on the effect of the application of a knee brace on the electromyography of various
lower extremity muscles during cutting maneuvers. More specifically, no studies have explored
the effect that knee braces may have on the peak muscular activation on the gluteus medius
during an agility task. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to examine differences
between braced and non-braced soccer players on measures of reactive agility time (s), and EMG
activity (% MVC) of the GM, BF, and VL during the acceleration and change of direction phases
of the Y-shaped reactive agility test. [...] | en_US |
