Thermovision as a Tool for Athletes to Verify the Symmetry of Work of Individual Muscle Segments

Agnieszka Szurko, Teresa Kasprzyk-Kucewicz, Armand Cholewka, Maksymilian Kazior, Karolina Sieroń, Agata Stanek and Tadeusz Morawiec
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Agnieszka Szurko: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
Teresa Kasprzyk-Kucewicz: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
Armand Cholewka: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
Maksymilian Kazior: Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Silesia, 75 Pułku Piechoty 1A, 41-500 Chorzów, Poland
Karolina Sieroń: Department of Internal Diseases, Oncology, with Department of Gastroenterology, Cardiology, and Angiology, Hospital MSWiA in Katowice, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
Agata Stanek: Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Batorego 15, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
Tadeusz Morawiec: Division of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Silesia, Pl. Akademicki 17, 41-902 Bytom, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: In the presented research, we characterised the temperature profiles and the degree of preparation for exercise of individual muscle groups of athletes We hypothesise that by means of thermal imaging studies, the effectiveness of the warm-up can be monitored to determine whether the effort of individual muscles is equal and symmetrical, which can help to avoid a potential injury. In the study, thermographic imaging was performed on a group of athletes exercising on a rowing ergometer involving almost 80% of the muscle parts of the human body for intense and symmetrical exercise. Thermovision studies have confirmed, based on the increased temperature of the muscle areas, that the rowing ergometer involves many muscle groups in training. Moreover, based on the shape of the temperature function obtained from individual body regions of interest, it was shown that conventional exercise on a rowing ergometer causes almost symmetrical work of the right and left sides of the body. Obtained temperature changes in most of the studied muscle areas showed minimum temperature reached the beginning of training—mostly phases 1 and 2. During the subsequent phases, the temperature increase was monitored, stopping at resting temperature. Significantly, temperature variations did not exceed 0.5 °C in all post-training phases. Statistical analyses did not show any significant differences in the symmetry of right and left muscle areas corresponding to the muscle location temperature. Thermal imaging may be an innovative wholly non-invasive and safe method, because checking induces adaptation processes, which may become indicators of an athlete’s efficiency. The imaging can be continuously repeated, and automatic comparison of average temperature or temperature difference may provide some clues that protect athletes from overtraining or serious injuries.

Keywords: thermovision in sport; body efficiency; symmetry of muscle work; thermal characteristics of muscles; exercises on a rowing ergometer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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