Limb and Medicine Ball Mass Effects on Seated Single Arm Shot Put Performance

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-28-2015

Publication Title

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Supplemental

DOI

10.1249/01.mss.0000477458.70695.c6

ISSN

1530-0315

Abstract

Functional performance tests (FPT) are important tools to assess muscle strength and power before and after injury. In contrast to the lower extremity, there are fewer FPT for the upper extremity. The seated single arm shot put (SSASP) test has the potential to fill the void of upper extremity FPT however, the underlying mechanics have yet to be examined.

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of upper extremity dominance, and medicine ball mass on the underlying SSASP projectile mechanics.

METHODS: Thirty healthy, college-aged men and women (20.5±1.5yrs; 181.5±6.2cm; 84.7±8.7kg) performed dominant (DOM) and non-dominant (NDOM) SSASP trials using three .114m diameter medicine ball loads (1kg, 2kg, 3kg). Customized touch sensitive gloves, synchronized with kinematic data of the hands, signaled ball release so release height (RH), release angle (RA), and peak anterior (AV) and vertical (VV) velocity could be quantified for each trial. In addition, the horizontal distance (HD) from release to first floor impact was recorded. Statistical analyses included separate limb by mass (RH, RA, HD) and limb by mass by direction (VV, AV) analysis of variance.

RESULTS: At each level of ball mass, DOM HD was significantly greater (PPP=.026, η2=.16) and AV (P2=.58) decreased linearly with each subsequent ball mass increase, however VV was not significantly altered. Across both VV and AV, DOM was significantly greater than NDOM (P=.001, 95% CIdiff:.16-.57m/s). No significant results for release height were revealed.

CONCLUSION: Based on the ball mass effects, it appears the SSASP should be conducted with the 1kg and 2kg medicine balls. We ascribe the peak velocity differences between the limbs to greater muscle strength and power for the DOM limb. Because no other limb differences were revealed for the underlying mechanics, by extension, the greater DOM HD can be attributed to the peak velocity differences. Thus, while these data further support the use of SSASP HD as FPT for the upper extremity, further research directly measuring muscle performance is needed to validate this interpretation.

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© 2015 American College of Sports Medicine

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