BIOMECHANICS AND POTENTIAL INJURY MECHANISMS OF WRESTLING

Abstract

Wrestling is one of the oldest and most popular competitive sports in the world, however, knowledge of the biomechanics of wrestling is not well established and the biomechanical risk factors of injuries unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the joint kinematics of the lower limbs and the center of pressure (COP) movements in Greco-Roman style (GR) and free style (FS) wrestlers during tackle defense. Eighteen male college wrestlers participated in the current study: 10 majored in GR (height: 171.1 ± 8.0 cm; weight: 73.9 ± 11.5, kg) and 8 in FS (height: 169.0 ± 5.2 cm; weight: 71.8 ± 11.4 kg). The wrestlers received tackle attacks from three different directions while their kinematic data measured by a 3D motion capture system and ground reaction forces from two AMTI forceplates. The wrestlers who majored in GR style tended to resist tackle attacks longer than the FS group. Compared to the GR group, the FS wrestlers tended to have greater A/P excursions of the COP with significant greater knee flexion. This flexed knee strategy may be related to the rule of the game and the training the FS wrestlers received. Significantly increased joint angles in the transverse and frontal planes at the knee and ankle found in the current study may be related to the risk of knee and ankle injuries commonly observed in wrestlers. Strengthening of the muscles of the lower extremity may be helpful for reducing these injuries during competitions.