Abstract

For conditioning for skiing and ski injury prevention, the quadriceps is most important to the skier as it controls changes in stiffness of the knee in the sagittal plane. Also it is the isometric quadriceps knee extension strength which is greatest in downhill skiers as compared to athletes of various sports. Medial collateral ligament injury with or without ACL injury represents 61% of all ski injuries. The other significant knee injuries are patello-femoral dysfunction and derangement. All of the above can be best prevented by strengthening of quadriceps muscle group. For performance of skiers, on the other hand, the strength of leg muscles is also of paramount importance. Among many factors affecting performance of skiers, the major muscle group, which maintains skier's position in space, namely the quadriceps, defines the delicate balance required for executing a turn. Furthermore, the strength of the left leg quadriceps should be preferably equal to that of the right leg in order to execute ski turns equally well in both directions and to prevent possible injuries to knee joints. Many skiers, however, may have a difference (misbalance) of quadriceps muscle strength due to previous injuries or individual preferences. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of electro-stimulation (NMES) on knee extension force misbalance in healthy men and compare these with traditional strength training. Einleitung (gekürzt)