Affiliations: [a] Laboratory of Exercise Physiology--Ergometry,
Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract: This study aimed to determine feasibility and reproducibility of
muscular strength measurements in young gymnasts, using hand-held dynamometry
in gymnastics-specific body positions. A group of 32 male and female young
gymnasts 8–11 years-old, performed different strength tests using a Nicholas
Manual Muscle Tester (NMMT). The measurements were collected in 4 major muscle
groups (shoulder flexors and extensors, hip flexors and extensors) at 22
different joint angular positions, with the active elbow or knee joint in full
extension. The maximal strength was obtained by placing the NMMT in a distal
forearm or shank position, with the gymnast in supine or prone position
stabilized on a vault. A Myrin goniometer, attached on the sagittal plane near
elbow or knee joint, was used to specify the shoulder and hip joint angular
positions. In the majority of the measurements (18 out of 22 angular positions)
the intra-class correlation coefficients revealed a good level of test-retest
reliability (R = 0.80–0.88). In four cases (3 in shoulder
flexors and 1 in shoulder extensors) intra-class reliability was fair, with
R-values ranging from 0.70 to 0.78. The low coefficients of variation and
standard errors of measurements affirmed the reproducibility of measurements.
In conclusion, this study showed the feasibility and the reproducibility of
shoulder and hip flexor and extensor muscles maximal strength measurements
using NMMT in gymnastics-based settings.
Keywords: Gymnasts, force, reliability, NMMT, shoulder muscles, hip muscles
