The human body is a complex system of interconnected parts, and the way we move and use our bodies can have significant impacts on our overall health and well-being. One area of particular interest to researchers and clinicians is the role of the gluteal musculature – the muscles in our buttocks – in controlling the movement of the femur, the large bone in our thigh. This control is crucial in preventing injuries to the knee, particularly noncontact and overuse injuries that can occur in sports and other physical activities.
A recent study by Rauseo, ML, Feairheller, DL, LaRoche, DP, and Cook, SB, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, sought to investigate the impact of different warm-up protocols on the biomechanics of single leg jump landings in college-aged females. The researchers were particularly interested in the effects of resistance exercises targeting the gluteal musculature, which can be incorporated into warm-up routines with the aim of improving neuromuscular control and performance.
The study involved seventeen healthy, college-aged, recreationally active females, who performed three single leg hop trials per leg after completing three different warm-up protocols: no warm-up (CON), a dynamic warm-up (DWU), and a dynamic warm-up with gluteal resistance exercises (DWU + GRE). The researchers then assessed various kinetic and kinematic variables during the single leg hops, from the point of initial foot contact to the deepest knee flexion.
Interestingly, the researchers found that the dominant limb hip internal rotation angle was significantly greater after the DWU + GRE protocol compared to the no warm-up protocol. This suggests that the addition of gluteal resistance exercises to a dynamic warm-up routine can influence the way the hip moves during a single leg hop. However, it’s important to note that this was the only significant difference observed between the different warm-up protocols.
The researchers also found that the dominant limb exhibited greater peak knee adduction moment, peak knee flexion angle, and peak knee external rotation angle compared to the non-dominant limb across all warm-up protocols. This suggests that the dominant limb may be more prone to certain types of movement and potentially injury, regardless of the warm-up protocol used.
Despite these findings, the researchers concluded that the combined DWU + GRE warm-up protocol did not have a substantial impact on landing biomechanics. This suggests that while gluteal resistance exercises can be a valuable addition to a warm-up routine, they may not lead to significant changes in movement patterns after a single bout.
This study provides valuable insights into the role of warm-up protocols in influencing movement patterns and potentially injury risk. However, it’s important to remember that these findings are based on a small sample of college-aged females, and further research is needed to determine whether these results are applicable to other populations.
In conclusion, while gluteal resistance exercises can be a useful addition to a warm-up routine, they may not lead to significant changes in movement patterns after a single bout. Therefore, clinicians prescribing these exercises should not expect immediate changes in movement patterns. However, these exercises may still be beneficial in the long term, particularly when combined with other strategies for improving neuromuscular control and reducing injury risk.
To read the full journal article, head to https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2024/02000/acute_effect_of_dynamic_and_gluteal_resistance.6.aspx