This study is aimed at comparing and analyzing the difference in the isokinetic muscular strengths and Anaerobic Exercise Capacity between visually impaired and non-disabled national judo athletes. With an effort to achieve that goal, we selected seve...
This study is aimed at comparing and analyzing the difference in the isokinetic muscular strengths and Anaerobic Exercise Capacity between visually impaired and non-disabled national judo athletes. With an effort to achieve that goal, we selected seven visually impaired national judo athletes who are ranked the first per weight classes and seven non-disabled national judo athletes who are ranked at the first to the third positions. In this study, we used Humac norm(CSMi, USA) to measure isokinetic muscular strengths and Monark 894E(Monark, Sweden) to measure Anaerobic Exercise Capacity.
In this study, SPSS 22.0 Program was used to implement Independent T-test for the statistical difference of isokinetic muscular strengths (elbow, lumbar and knee joints) and Anaerobic Exercise Capacity (maximum and average powers, maximum-per-weight and average-per-weight powers) between the two groups. The result is that non-disabled national judo athletes showed better results than their visually impaired counterparts on average in terms of the maximum-per-weight muscular strength, total work per weight and average-per-weight power of elbow, lumbar and knee joints. However, when it comes to lumbar joint extensor, visually impaired players showed better results than non-disabled players on average. As for Anaerobic Exercise Capacity that include the maximum and average powers and maximum-per-weight and average-per-weight powers, non-disabled national judo athletes showed better results than their visually impaired counterparts on average. However the difference was not statistically significant. The next paragraph is the conclusion made based on such results.
The study found that in comparison of non-disabled judo players, visually impaired national judo athletes were worse for isokinetic muscular strengths and Anaerobic Exercise Capacity, but better for lumbar joint extensor. This result demonstrates that visually impaired judo players use their lumbar joints faster and more repeatedly and continuously than non-disabled judo players. Given the fact that judo games start with two players gripping each other, using lumbar joints is essential to exercise judo techniques by moving upper and lower legs instantly right after the game starts. However, it was found that the imbalance in using lumbar joint flexors and extensors was higher for visually impaired national judo athletes than non-disabled national judo athletes based on the ratios of exercising ipsilateral flexors and extensors around lumbar joints. In conclusion, first, visually impaired national judo athletes can improve the performance by maximizing the power of their lumbar joint extensors that can be strengthened through the repetitive use. Meanwhile, using lumbar joint flexors is expected to have bad impact on the playing performance when players try the techniques such as shoulder throw or sweeping hip throw. Second, the imbalance of ipsilateral muscles is one of the risk factors that might lead to the injury of lumbar joints during training or game. Therefore, trainers and trainees both need to be aware of the results of such analysis and develop balanced training programs, in order to prevent unnecessary injuries. Last but not the least, visually impaired national judo athletes have to develop Anaerobic Exercise Capacity that are required to utilize judo techniques after gripping.