Effect of paddle grip on segmental fluid distribution and injuries occurrence in elite slalom paddlers
Abstract
The aim of this current study was to assess the segmental fluid distribution, the grip strength and injuries occurrence in elite slalom kayakers and canoeists. Ninety three world-cup competitors (72 males; 21 females) took part in the study.
Impedance analysis was used to assess segmental fluid asymmetry. The effect of paddle grip (loose/fixed hand in kayakers, lower/upper hand in canoeists), morphological dominance (dominant/non-dominant) and discipline (canoe/kayak) was evaluated by repeated measures ANOVA.
The findings indicated a significant effect of paddle grip in male canoeists on morphological asymmetry in upper limbs (arm of lower paddle hand, mean fluid distribution 3.17, s = 0.47 litres; arm of upper paddle hand mean fluid distribution 3.08, s = 0.45 litres; P < 0.001, ωp2 = 0.32). Significant morphological asymmetry was found also in kayakers but the effect of paddle grip was not substantial.
Grip strength was not related to paddle grip neither injury occurance. The paddlers with morphological asymmetry reported injury occurrence during last three years in 60 % of cases which was 3 times more than in paddlers without morphological asymmetry.
As the upper-limb asymmetry was directly associated with paddle grip in male canoeists, we assume that canoe paddling training leads to higher bilateral morphological asymmetry and therefore, injury occurrence.