EVALUATING EFFECTIVENESS OF AQUATIC THERAPY APPROACH ON PERFORMANCE IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS

A.R. Doctor¹, P. Rathod²

¹R.K. University, Physiotherapy, Mumbai, India, ²R.K. University, Physiotherapy, Rajkot, India

Background: Aquatic therapy are exercises performed in water. TheAmerican Physical Therapy Association (APTA) formally recognized the aquatic therapy section within APTA in 1992, as part of physical therapy and rehabilitation. The different principles of water like Buoyancy, Thermodynamics, Hydrostatic pressure, Density, and viscosity make it a safer and more effective medium for rehabilitation. Aquatic training has reduced forces on tissue during impact which makes it possible to increase the volume of training before reaching the injury threshold. Donoghue et al 2011 compared five different jumping exercises with which he found significant reductions in peak impact forces (33%-54%), impulse (19%-54%), and rate of force development (33%-62%) in water compared to land. Literature shows the benefit of aquatic therapy in improving strength and power post-injury in sports. Football is a high-impact and contact sport, and the training involves high intensity and impact forces exercises because of this football players have a high injury risk during training as well. However, the use of aquatic therapy as a mode of training in sports is underexplored therefore this study will throw light on the impact of the aquatic therapy approach on performance in football players as speed, agility, power, core strength, and kick velocity are key components of the sport.

Purpose: To aim of this study is to evaluatethe effectiveness of the aquatic therapy approach on performance in football players.

Methods: The study is an experimental study done on 60 professional football players. The subjects were divided into 2 groups equally by random sampling method where Group A was the interventional group where aquatic therapy sessions were incorporated thrice a week for 4 weeks and Group B was the control group that underwent conventional training. The Pre-assessment and post-assessment were done for the outcome measures Kick velocity, 5m sprint test, T-test, Plank test, and vertical jump test. Data was collected and analyzed with Paired t-test through SPSS software.

Results: :Group A which underwent the aquatic therapy approach showed significant improvement in kick velocity, speed, agility, power, and core strength compared to Group B.

Conclusions: Aquatic therapy can be incorporated into training as a safer and more effective medium to enhance performance in football players as well as other sports with similar components. Further studies can be done to evaluate the effectiveness of the aquatic approach on other components of different sports.

Implications: Aquatic therapy to be incorporated into the existing training regime for football players as well as for other sports players and athletes. This will reduce the injury incidence in training as it is a safer medium compared to land.

Funding acknowledgements: Non taken

Keywords:
Aquatic-therapy
football-players
sports

Topics:
Sport & sports injuries

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: R.K University

Committee: Ethics Committee, School of Physiotherapy at RK University

Ethics number: ECR/259/Indt/GJ/2016/RR-21