NEUROMUSCULAR PROFILE OF TOP LEVEL WOMEN KAYAKERS, ASSESSED THROUGH TENSIOMYOGRAPHY.

The aim of this study is to assess the contractile properties and the lateral symmetry percentages of muscles: Trapezius, Deltoideus and Latissimus Dorsi of top level women kayakers, and determine the gender influence and the specific training in the assessed parameters. Twenty-one volunteers participated in this study, divided into three groups: seven top-level women kayakers (WK), four top-level men kayakers (MK) and ten women physically active, non-kayakers (WNK) have been assessed through tensiomyography (TMG). Reliability of the TMG assessment was tested by means of the calculating intraclass correlation coefficient reliabilities (ICCRs), and all the values obtained were over 0.8. A t-test (p≤ 0.05), an analysis of variance (ANOVA) one factor (p≤ 0.01), and Cohen's d effect sizes were implemented, and we turned to the algorithm of TMG-BMC tensiomyography® to determine the lateral symmetry percentages. The results show that, WK and MK differ only in the lower reaction time that WK obtain when contracting their Trapezius (19.5%; p= 0.008; d=2.13). However, WK present a 34.4% more of Time Contraction (p=0.003; d=1.8) in their Latissimus Dorsi than WNK. Also WK have a 123.7% more of Time Contraction (p=0.009; d=1.5), a 11.3% more of Time reaction (p= 0.01; d=1.5), a 34.8% more of maximum radial displacement (p=0.01; d=1.35); and a 20.4% less of lateral symmetry (p=0.006; d=1.6) in their Trapezius than WNK. In conclusion, the specific training seems to have a significant influence on the WK´s neuromuscular profile compared to WNK.