The effect of lumbar spine, sacro-iliac and/or hip joint manipulation on muscle activity and performance in road cycling

Abstract

BACKGROUND Cycling is a highly competitive sport where athletes are continuously looking for ways to improve their performances in order to gain what might be seconds over their components. Chiropractic manipulation has been shown to restore the balances of the kinematic chain and stimulate motoneuron pools and therefore by implementing this technique into their training regime, it may show improvement in muscle activity distributions, demands and efficiency thus resulting in better cycling performance.

OBJECTIVES To determine the participants muscle activity (amplitude of surface EMG) and cycling performance in terms of power output (W), cycling speed (km/h), cadence (rpm), and completion time (seconds) before and after lumbar spine, sacro-iliac joint and/or hip joint manipulation intervention.

METHOD Sixty-one asymptomatic amateur cyclists performed two 1.5km time-trials pre- and post- manipulative intervention. The pre- and post-intervention data of muscle activity (amplitude of surface EMG) and cycling performance (power output (W), cycling speed (km/h), cadence (rpm), and completion time (seconds)) were captured. IBM SPSS version 24 was used to analyse the data. A p value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS There was no significant change in muscle activity post-lumbar spine manipulation. There was a significant decrease in cycling performance post-lumbar spine manipulation.

Sacro-iliac joint showed no significant change in muscle activity post-manipulation. The study data demonstrated a significant decrease in cycling performance post sacro-iliac joint manipulation.

There was no significant change in muscle activity post hip joint manipulation. A significant decrease in power output and speed post hip joint manipulation, no significant effect of overall performance.

Combination manipulation intervention showed a significant decrease in muscle activity of iliopsoas muscle. Combination manipulation showed no significant change in cycling performance.

CONCLUSIONS There was a visual trend that showed, although there was a decrease in overall cycling performance in the lumbar spine and sacro-iliac joint manipulation groups post-intervention, with no significant changes in the hip joint and combination manipulation groups post- intervention – these athletes were more efficient cyclists post manipulative intervention particularly those who received the combination of adjustments.