ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2021 December;180(12):836-41

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.20.04324-7

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Isokinetic performance of shoulder external and internal rotators in judo and karate elite male athletes

Drazenka MACAK ¹ ✉, Miodrag DRAPSIN ², Dragan ATANASOV ³, Nebojsa TRAJKOVIC ^{1, 4}, Tatjana TRIVIC ¹, Jovan VUKOVIC ¹, Patrik DRID ¹

¹ Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia; ² Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia; ³ Faculty of Sport, University Union - Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Serbia; ⁴ Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia

BACKGROUND: The isokinetic testing can provide valuable information in combat sports regarding the strength of certain muscle groups and its imbalance detection. This study aimed to determine the isokinetic profile of shoulder internal and external rotators in judo and karate male elite athletes.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 22 elite athletes (N.=11 judokas, N.=11 karatekas) at national and international competitive levels. The isokinetic muscle strength was assessed using the HUMAN NORM isokinetic dynamometer at an angular velocity of 60º/sec and 180 º/sec in a sitting position. Peak torque (PT) for external/internal rotators, right-left asymmetry (bilateral strength balance), and the external/internal rotator ratio (ER:IR ratio or deficit) for both arms were examined.
RESULTS: The isokinetic profile of shoulder rotators was significantly different in judo and karate athletes, P<0.05. At both velocities, large differences were observed between judokas and karatekas in PT of right and left shoulders’ internal (60º/sec: d=1.1, 1.2; 180º/sec: d=1.3, 1.25) and external rotator muscles (60º/sec: d=0.93, 1.0; 180º/sec: d=1.1, 1.14), noticing higher PT in the judo group. However, no difference was detected in the bilateral strength balance of the shoulders’ rotators between judokas and karatekas at both velocities. Regarding the ER:IR strength ratio, at the lower angular velocity negligible medium mean differences between judo and karate athletes were noticed for both shoulders, P>0.05. Notwithstanding, karate athletes had lower ER:IR strength deficit of right and left shoulder (d=0.43, 0.78) than judo athletes at 180 º/sec, P<0.05.
CONCLUSIONS: Judokas tended to have higher isokinetic strength of shoulder rotator muscles, but karatekas had lower shoulders’ rotator muscles strength deficit at the higher angular velocity.

KEY WORDS: Martial arts; Muscle strength; Wounds and injuries