Effect of EMS and Strengthening Exercises on Pain, Fatigue and Physical Performance in Motocross Athletes

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Sports Injury
• Interventions: Device: Electromyostimulation; Other: Strengthening exercises

• Registration Number: NCT06300385
• Lead Sponsor: Istanbul Bilgi University

Brief Summary

Motocross, a popular sport, involves riding motorized vehicles on rugged tracks with obstacles. It's physically demanding, with high speeds and a risk of accidents. Grip strength is crucial, especially in the arms and forearms, which are prone to injury. Physiotherapy often employs strength exercises, including electromyostimulation. However, there's little research on their effectiveness for motocross athletes. This study aims to compare electromyostimulation combined with strength training versus strength training alone in relieving pain, fatigue, and improving strength in motocross athletes.

Detailed Description

Motocross is a popular sport in which participants ride a two-wheeled, motorized vehicle around a 2 km rugged track with natural or man-made obstacles. Participants race at high speeds and it is considered a strenuous sport with a high accident rate. Motocross racers grip the handlebars of their bikes with both hands throughout the race, which lasts between 18 and 26 minutes. Therefore, it is a sports branch where control is concentrated on the arms and upper extremities. It has been reported that the most frequently injured and painful area is the forearm. Therefore, good and strong upper extremity and forearm control is important for the prevention of injuries or subsequent recovery processes.

It is known that strengthening exercise programs are used in physiotherapy practices to improve strength and stabilization parameters. The use of electromyostimulation applications for strengthening in different populations is also becoming widespread.

There are no studies demonstrating the effectiveness of strengthening and electromyostimulation applications on pain, fatigue and strength parameters in motocross athletes.

The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of electromyostimulation application applied simultaneously with a strengthening exercise program on pain, fatigue and strength, with strengthening exercises performed with sham application (electric current turned off).

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-03-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-03-03
• Study First Posted: 2024-03-08
• Study Start: 2024-04-01
• Primary Completion: 2024-06-01
• Status Verified: 2024-07
• Study Completion: 2024-07-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-07-03
• Last Update Posted: 2024-07-05

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Having at least 5 years of professional motocross training experience
• Being between 18 and 30 years old
• Volunteering to participate in the study

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Exclusion Criteria

• To be absent from the 6-week EMS and strengthening program for more than 2 consecutive sessions
• Having suffered any injury that prevents you from training in the last 6 months
• Being receiving a physiotherapy program other than the protocol to be used in the study

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Experimental	Electromyostimulation	These participants will receive electromyostimulation simultaneously with strengthening exercise.
Experimental	Strengthening exercises	These participants will receive electromyostimulation simultaneously with strengthening exercise.
Sham control	Strengthening exercises	These participants will receive sham electromyostimulation (current turned off) simultaneously with strengthening exercise.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Fatigue assessment	6 week	Fatigue Severity Scale: The fatigue level of the participants will be evaluated with the Fatigue Severity Scale. It is a survey with 9 questions and 8-point Likert form.A high score means a high level of fatigue.
Visual analog scale	6 week	Pain assessment: Pain scores of patients will be recorded using 0-100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to grade pain. For VAS; A measured horizontal line will be created, and definitions such as 'no symptoms' and 'severe symptoms' will be written at both ends. The participant will be instructed to mark a point on the line appropriate to the severity of the symptom. Wrist pain values in the resting position will be recorded before and after the 6-week program.
Grip strength assessment	6 week	Jamar Hand Grip Dynamometer will be used to evaluate hand grip and finger flexor muscle strength. The participant will sit upright during the assessment. Elbow and knee angle will be 90 degrees. A full force grip will be required with the wrist in the neural position. The measurement will be performed 3 times with an interval of 10 seconds. Increasing values will indicate higher strength. Measurement results will be recorded in kilograms and pounds.
Strength measurement	6 week	Lafayette Dynamometer: Lafayette Manual Muscle Testing device will be used to evaluate muscle strength. While the measurements are being made, the device will be kept stationary and the resistance given by the participant will be measured in Newtons. Measurements will be made in the sitting position for wrist flexion/extension and forearm flexion, and total muscle strength will be recorded.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Istanbul Bilgi University; 🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey