Reliability of Repeated Isometric Neck Strength in Rugby Union Players Using a Load Cell Device

Concussion is the most common injury in professional Rugby Union (RU) players, with increasing incidence and severity each year. Strengthening the neck is an intervention used to decrease concussion incidence and severity, which can only be proven effective if strength neck measures are reliable. We...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Beaven, M. (Author), Chavarro‐Nieto, C. (Author), Gill, N. (Author), Hébert‐losier, K. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
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020 |a 14248220 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Reliability of Repeated Isometric Neck Strength in Rugby Union Players Using a Load Cell Device 
260 0 |b MDPI  |c 2022 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.3390/s22082872 
520 3 |a Concussion is the most common injury in professional Rugby Union (RU) players, with increasing incidence and severity each year. Strengthening the neck is an intervention used to decrease concussion incidence and severity, which can only be proven effective if strength neck measures are reliable. We conducted a repeated‐measures reliability study with 23 male RU players. Neck strength was assessed seated in a ’make’ test fashion in flexion, extension, and bilateral‐side flexion. Flexion‐to‐extension and left‐to‐right side ratios were also computed. Three testing sessions were undertaken over three consecutive weeks. Intrasession and intersession reliabilities were assessed using typical errors, coefficient of variations (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Intrasession reliability demonstrated good‐to‐excellent relative (ICC > 0.75) and good absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability in all directions (ICC = 0.86–0.95, CV = 6.4–8.8%), whereas intersession reliability showed fair relative (ICC: 0.40 to 0.75) and acceptable absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability for mean and maximal values (ICC = 0.51–0.69, CV = 14.5–19.8%). Intrasession reliability for flexion‐to-extension ratio was good (relative, ICC = 0.86) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%) and was fair (relative, ICC = 0.75) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%) for left‐to‐right ratio. Intersession ratios from mean and maximal values were fair (relative, ICC = 0.52–0.55) but not always acceptable (ab-solute, CV = 16.8–24%). Assessing isometric neck strength with a head harness and a cable with a load cell device seated in semi‐professional RU players is feasible and demonstrates good‐to‐excel-lent intrasession and fair intersession reliability. We provide data from RU players to inform practice and assist standardisation of testing methods. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. 
650 0 4 |a Coefficients of variations 
650 0 4 |a concussion 
650 0 4 |a Concussion 
650 0 4 |a Flexion-extension 
650 0 4 |a football 
650 0 4 |a Intraclass correlation coefficients 
650 0 4 |a Load cells 
650 0 4 |a Maximal values 
650 0 4 |a Mean values 
650 0 4 |a Muscle 
650 0 4 |a muscle testing 
650 0 4 |a Muscle testing 
650 0 4 |a Reliability 
650 0 4 |a Repeated measures 
650 0 4 |a Sports 
650 0 4 |a stability 
650 0 4 |a Testing 
650 0 4 |a test‐retest 
650 0 4 |a Test‐retest 
700 1 0 |a Beaven, M.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Chavarro‐Nieto, C.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Gill, N.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Hébert‐losier, K.  |e author 
773 |t Sensors