Kinesiology of kayaking in case of physical disablity with a special focus on footrest

Abstract

During kayaking, the whole body works in a perfect harmony. While the trunk is doing a rotation, flexion­extension helps to the upper limb to create a special cyclic paddle. The purpose of this study was to gain whether there were any significant differences between disabled and non-disabled kayakers with special focus on the use of footrest. Methods: Thirteen (n=13) elite physical disabled athletes, eleven (n=11) elite non-disabled athletes and nine (n=9) athletes whose movements were artificially limited to imitate disabled conditions were measured. Results: Upper limb muscle activities were significantly different in the disabled group. In the disabled group, knee and trunk motions and muscle activities were also significantly different compared to the non-disabled group. Significant differences were found in performance, force and footrest use. Conclusions: Our results proved our assumption that motions and muscle activities of disabled and non-disabled athletes were significantly different.