Abstract

Background: People with disabilities can benefit from resistance exercise programs. However, wheelchair athletes in sprint and endurance events have placed little or no emphasis on resistance training as part of their programme. Reluctance has centered on the traditional myths surrounding weight training.
Purpose: To compare the efficacy of 8 week resistance training via elastic tubing and dumbbells on shoulder strength, endurance and explosive power in wheelchair athlete.
Material and Method: Thirty five manual wheelchair basketball athletes randomly divided into three groups i.e. Elastic tubing group (n=10), dumbbells group (n=10) and control group (n=15). The intervention groups followed eight weeks of strengthening via elastic tubing and dumbbells respectively on alternate days for 8 weeks in addition with their sports practice. The control group received no intervention and allowed to follow their sports practice. Pre- and post- test results were obtained for Shoulder muscles strength. Explosive power and endurance were compared with paired‘t’ test. ANOVA was used for intergroup comparison and to compare demographic details.
Results: Statistical analysis indicated significant improvement in shoulder muscles strength and endurance but no such results found for explosive power (p<0.05).
Discussion and Conclusion: It can be concluded that three day/week 8 week resistance training programme boost the shoulder strength and endurance with both mode of resistance training i.e. elastic tubing and dumbbells .No such result found for explosive power.