The Relationship Between Functional Movement, Dynamic Stability, and Athletic Performance Assessments in Baseball and Softball Athletes.

ABSTRACT: Stapleton, DT, Boergers, RJ, Rodriguez, J, Green, G, Johnson, K, Williams, P, Leelum, N, Jackson, L, and Vallorosi, J. The relationship between functional movement, dynamic stability, and athletic performance assessments in baseball and softball athletes. J Strength Cond Res 35(12S): S42-S50, 2021-Despite recent popularity, the relationship between movement quality and measures of athletic performance remains inconclusive. This investigation sought to clarify the relationships between measures of movement quality and measures of athletic performance in baseball and softball athletes. Thirty-eight National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I baseball (n = 23; age 20.00 ± 1.38 years, lower-extremity [LE] limb length 93.91 ± 4.37, upper-extremity [UE] limb length 92.37 ± 4.48) and softball (n = 15; age 19.93 ± 1.28 years, LE limb length 89.43 ± 4.67, UE limb length 84.61 ± 4.39) athletes completed the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and the Y Balance Test for the lower and upper extremities (YBTLQ and YBTUQ, respectively). Performance assessments were proagility (PA), vertical jump (VJ), and rotational medicine ball throw to the right and left (RMTR and RMTL, respectively). No significant correlations were seen between any of the composite scores of movement quality and athletic performance in baseball athletes; shoulder mobility was weakly correlated with PA (rs = 0.442, p = 0.035). Composite FMS was negatively correlated with RMTR (rs = -0.753) in softball athletes. In addition, in softball athletes, RMTR was negatively correlated with in-line lunge (rs = -0.544, p = 0.04), trunk stability push-up (rs = -0.761, p = 0.002), anterior YBTLQ reach (r = -0.628), and posterolateral YBTLQ reach (r = -0.683); VJ was correlated with posterolateral YBTLQ reach (r = 0.531) and superolateral (SL) YBTUQ reach (r = 0.591), and PA was negatively correlated with posterolateral YBTLQ (r = -0.60) and SL YBTUQ reach (r = -0.557). The differences in correlations of movement quality and athletic performance between baseball and softball athletes suggest movement quality influences performance differently in female athletes and male athletes.

The Effect of Lacrosse Protective Equipment on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Shock.

CONTEXT: In the event of an acute cardiac event, on-field equipment removal is suggested, although it remains unknown how lacrosse equipment removal may alter time to first chest compression and time to first AED shock. OBJECTIVE: To determine time to first chest compression and first AED shock in 2 chest exposure procedures with 2 different pad types. DESIGN: Crossover study Setting: Simulation laboratory Participants: Thirty-six athletic trainers (21 females, 15 males; age=30.58±7.81) Main Outcome Measures: Participants worked in pairs to provide 2 rescuer CPR intervention on a simulation manikin (QCPR manikin, Laerdal Medical, Wappingers Falls, NY) outfitted with lacrosse pads and helmet. Participants completed a total of 8 trials per pair (2 chest exposure procedures X 2 pad types X 2 participant roles). The dependent variables were time to first compression (s) and time to first AED shock (s). The independent variables were chest exposure procedure with 2 levels (procedure 1: removal of helmet while initiating CPR over the pads followed by pad retraction and AED application; procedure 2: removal of helmet and removal of pads followed by CPR and AED application) and pad type (Warrior Burn Hitman shoulder pads; Warrior Nemesis chest protector). RESULTS: We found a statistically significant interaction between chest exposure procedure and pad type for time to first compression (F1,35=4.66, P=0.04, ω2p=0.10) with significantly faster times during procedure 1 for both the Nemesis pads (16.1±3.4 s) and the Hitman pads (16.1±4.5 s) compared to procedure 2 (Nemesis pads: 49.6±12.9 s, P<0.0001; Hitman pads: 53.8±14.5 s, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Completing the initial cycle of chest compressions over either shoulder pads or a chest protector hastens time to first chest compression without diminishing CPR quality which may improve patient outcomes. Time to first AED shock was not different between equipment procedure or pad type.

Airway Management in Athletes Wearing Lacrosse Equipment.

CONTEXT: Patient ventilation volume and rate have been found to be compromised due to the inability to seal a pocket mask over the chinstrap of football helmets. The effects of supraglottic airway devices such as the King LT and of lacrosse helmets on these measures have not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of different airway management devices and helmet conditions on producing quality ventilations while performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on simulation manikins. DESIGN: Crossover study. SETTING: Simulation laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six athletic trainers (12 men, 24 women) completed this study. INTERVENTION(S): Airway-management device (pocket mask, oral pharyngeal airway, King LT airway [KA]) and helmet condition (no helmet, Cascade helmet, Schutt helmet, Warrior helmet) served as the independent variables. Participant pairs performed 2 minutes of 2-rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation under 12 trial conditions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Ventilation volume (mL), ventilation rate (ventilations/min), rating of perceived difficulty (RPD), and percentage of quality ventilations were the dependent variables. RESULTS: A significant interaction was found between type of airway-management device and helmet condition on ventilation volume and rate ( F12,408 = 2.902, P < .0001). In addition, a significant interaction was noted between airway-management device and helmet condition on RPD scores ( F6,204 = 3.366, P = .003). The no-helmet condition produced a higher percentage of quality ventilations compared with the helmet conditions ( P ≤ .003). Also, the percentage of quality ventilations differed, and the KA outperformed each of the other devices ( P ≤ .029). CONCLUSIONS: The helmet chinstrap inhibited quality ventilation (rate and volume) in airway procedures that required the mask to be sealed on the face. However, the KA allowed quality ventilation in patients wearing a helmet with the chinstrap fastened. If a KA is not available, the helmet may need to be removed to provide quality ventilations.

The Ability to Provide Quality Chest Compressions Over Lacrosse Shoulder Pads.

CONTEXT: Performance of quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation is essential for improving patient outcomes. Performing compressions over football equipment inhibits compression depth and rate, but lacrosse equipment has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of lacrosse shoulder pads on the ability to provide quality chest compressions on simulation manikins. DESIGN: Crossover study. SETTING: Simulation laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six athletic trainers (12 men: age = 33.3 ± 9.7 years; 24 women: age = 33.4 ± 9.8 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): No shoulder pads (NSP), Warrior Burn Hitman shoulder pads (WSP), and STX Cell II shoulder pads (SSP) were investigated. Outcomes were chest-compression depth (millimeters), rate (compressions per minute), rating of perceived exertion (0-10), hand-placement accuracy (%), and chest recoil (%). RESULTS: We observed a difference in mean compression depth among shoulder-pad conditions ( F2,213 = 3.73, P = .03, ω2 = 0.03), with a shallower depth during the WSP (54.1 ± 5.8 mm) than the NSP (56.8 ± 5.7 mm; P = .02) trials. However, no differences were found in mean compression rate ( F2,213 = 0.87, P = .42, ω2 = 0.001, 1-ß = .20). We noted a difference in rating of perceived exertion scores ( F2,213 = 16.41, P < .001, ω2 = 0.12). Compressions were more difficult during the SSP condition (4.1 ± 1.3) than during the NSP (2.9 ± 1.2; P < .001) and WSP (3.3 ± 1.1; P = .002) conditions. A difference was present in hand-placement accuracy among the 3 shoulder-pad conditions (χ22 = 11.14, P = .004). Hand-placement accuracy was better in the NSP than the SSP condition ( P = .002) and the SSP than the WSP condition ( P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Lacrosse shoulder pads did not inhibit the ability to administer chest compressions with adequate rate and depth. With appropriate training to improve hand placement, the pads may be left in place while cardiopulmonary resuscitation is initiated during sudden cardiac arrest.

Acute effects of self-myofascial release and stretching in overhead athletes with GIRD.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the acute effects of self-myofascial release (SMR), static stretching (SS), and the combination of self-myofascial release and static stretching (SMR + SS) on glenohumeral internal rotation range of motion (GH IR ROM) in overhead athletes with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD). PARTICIPANTS: Twelve asymptomatic adult male amateur softball position players exhibiting GIRD. RESULTS: All three methods significantly improved GH IR ROM. Post hoc testing revealed that SS alone and SMR + SS improved GH IR ROM significantly more than SMR alone. However, there were no significant differences in GH IR ROM between SS alone and SMR + SS. CONCLUSIONS: If an athlete has a limited time to perform a warm-up (e.g., 3-4 min), SS alone is recommended to improve GH IR ROM. However, if the athlete has more time available to warm up (e.g., 7-8 min), combining SMR + SS may result in a greater increase in GH IR ROM.