The importance of functional diagnostics in preventing and rehabilitating gymnast injuries with the assistance of the tensiomyography (TMG) method: a case study

Background: The tensiomyography assessment offers information, in the time domain, regarding the following parameters: maximal radial deformation or displacement of the muscle belly, contraction time, reaction time, sustain time and relaxation time. The aim of this study is to provide information about muscle stiffness, the mechanic and contractile properties using the TMG muscles after 4 months rehabilitation process gymnast. Material/Methods: Four muscles were chosen on both lateral sides involved in artistic gymnastics performance: biceps femoris, erector spinae, gluteus maximus, rectus femoris. The testing sample in this study was taken from the Croatian Republic’s senior representative who won third place 2012 and eighth place 2015 in the floor routine at the ECh. Results: The testing and measuring took place after the subject injured the lumbar region of the spinal cord and after a four-month prevention exercise program. After the first two stages of measuring, the differences can be found in: BF: -7%; ES: +17%; GM: -8%; RF: +11%. Generally speaking, a dependent t-test did not reveal significant differences in between the first and second measurement point (t = 1.941, df = 39, P < 0.059). Conclusions: This approach can be used to investigate top athletes who are in the process of training for muscle recovery as a result of skeletal muscle injury.