Injury rates and physiological changes associated with lateral motion training in females

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate physiological changes and injury rates associated with lateral motion (slideboard) training. Twenty-five females performed slideboard exercise 3 days per week, 1 hour each session, over a 10 week period. Eleven females served as controls. The subjects were pre and post tested via treadmill exercise to determine VO2peak. Body composition was analyzed by a seven-site skinfold equation. The slideboard subjects (SBS) were evaluated daily for injury incidence. A factorial repeated measures ANOVA (p < 0.05) revealed a significant 14% increase in VO2peak. No significant modifications were shown for body composition. The incidence of injury was 80% for Grade I injuries, 52% for Grade II injuries, 0% for Grade III injuries, and 4% for Grade IV injuries. Thus, the primary injury reports were of a Grade I and Grade II level of severity. The present injuries were largely associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in the medial leg musculature during the first two weeks of training. These results show that during a 10 wk training program lateral motion exercise is an effective mode for improving cardiorespiratory fitness. In addition, the risk of incurring an injury requiring medical attention appears to be quite low. However, untrained women who perform this activity at a frequency, duration, and intensity similar to the present study may experience muscle soreness during the initial period of training.