Citation

Geary K, Green BS, Delahunt E. Clin. J. Sport. Med. 2014; 24(6): 502-508.

Affiliation

*Ulster Rugby, Irish Rugby Football Union, Belfast, Northern Ireland; †USA Rugby Sports Medicine, Boulder, Colorado; ‡School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; and §Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JSM.0000000000000071

PMID

24561636

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of a neck strengthening program on the isometric neck strength profile of male rugby union players.

DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. SETTING: Professional rugby union club. PARTICIPANTS: Fifteen professional and 10 semiprofessional rugby union players. INTERVENTIONS: The 15 professional players undertook a 5-week neck strengthening intervention, which was performed twice per week, whereas the 10 semiprofessional players acted as the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Isometric strength of the neck musculature was tested using a hand-held dynamometer, for flexion (F), extension (E), left-side flexion (LSF), and right-side flexion (RSF). Preintervention and postintervention evaluations were undertaken.

RESULTS: No significant between-group differences in isometric neck strength were noted preintervention. A significant main effect for time was observed (P < 0.05), whereby the intervention group increased isometric neck strength in all planes after the 5-week intervention (F preintervention = 334.45 ± 39.31 N vs F postintervention 396.05 ± 75.55 N; E preintervention = 606.19 ± 97.34 vs E postintervention = 733.88 ± 127.16 N; LSF preintervention = 555.56 ± 88.34 N vs LSF postintervention = 657.14 ± 122.99 N; RSF preintervention = 570.00 ± 106.53 N vs RSF postintervention = 668.00 ± 142.18 N). No significant improvement in neck strength was observed for control group participants.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that a 5-week neck strengthening program improves isometric neck strength in rugby union players, which may have implications for injury prevention, screening, and rehabilitation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The strengthening program described in the present study may facilitate rehabilitation specialists in the development of neck injury prevention, screening, and rehabilitation protocols.

Language: en