Compensatory exercises for young cyclists in the pubescents

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the state of the musculoskeletal system of selectedcyclists and to propose appropriate compensatory exercises, the effects of which were verified inpractice. Twenty-eight MTB cyclists (men) participated in the study. They were divided intoexperimental (EXP) and control (CONT) groups. The Janda test, including the scaling method, wasused to diagnose the condition of the cyclists' musculoskeletal system. The cyclists were testedtwice after six weeks, when the experimental group was doing compensatory exercises twice aweek. The results of the first and second tests were compared. The results showed a reduction inmuscle mass in the arcuate neck flexion and trunk flexion tests. The results of the shortenedmuscle group tests showed shortening of the neck muscles and the upper part of the trapeziusmuscle in all the cyclists. The paravertebral back muscles and the pectoralis major muscle wereshortened in 93% of the cyclists. 86% of the cyclists had shortened knee flexors and hip flexors. Inthe EXP, there was a significant improvement in the strength of the weakened muscle groups(p<0.001) and a significant increase in the extent of the shortened muscle groups (p=0.001) afterthe intervention. No significant changes were found in the CONT. After the interventionprogramme, movement stereotypes improved significantly in the EXP group compared to the CONTgroup. Cyclists should regularly incorporate compensatory exercises into their current training inorder to prevent overuse injuries, correct posture and eliminate back pain.