91 - Influence of Trunk Biomechanics and Kicking Performance

Poster Board Number: 91
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Abstract Body : The trunk anchors the limbs and supports countless actions and, thus, its motion should influence athletic performance. Kicking a soccer ball typically involves rotation of the lumbar trunk to generate the energy needed to produce a strong enough kick by the lower limbs to move the ball. Understanding the role of the trunk during kicking can better inform training regimes and the influence of injury (e.g. low back pain) on athletic performance. In this study we test the hypothesis that decreased rotation of the lower back leads to a less powerful kick, demonstrated by a slower traveling ball. Participants were recruited for a human based observational study using a marker-less, open-source software, OpenCap AI, to measure lumbar rotation during kicking. Participants performed three types of kicks: 10 warm-up kicks, which require very little rotation of the trunk, 10 kicks at full force, which should require the most rotation, and 10 kicks at full force while attempting to stabilize the trunk and the upper body. ANOVA was used to statistically test the different relationships between kick type and range of lumbar rotation, with P values < 0.05 seen between full force kicks and warmup kicks, and full force kicks and kicks with the stabilized trunk. The results support our hypothesis and demonstrate that less powerful kicks require reduced range of lumbar rotation. These results validate the idea that the trunk plays a significant role in kicking. This information can be useful in understanding athletic performance as well as developing treatment plans for individuals, particularly athletes, dealing with trunk injuries if we have a better understanding of its mechanism and impact. Future work will focus on understanding the impacts of low back pain on kicking performance.