Purpose Handcycling race events require athletes to rapidly apply force every pedaling cycle. Thus, accurate assessment of neuromuscular capacities, especially explosive force, has promising effects on handcycling performance and athlete development. Since the handcycle lacks specific tests for rate of force development (RFD) and strength assessment, this case study aimed to propose a protocol for assessing upper body neuromuscular functions related to the push and pull phases of the synchronous arm-cranking motion of handcycling. Methods Two elite handcyclists with high paraplegia (spinal cord injury T3-T4, classified in sport class MH3 and WH3) participated in the study. After a warm-up, the participants performed the bench press and bent over row isometric maximal voluntary contraction tests consisting of three maximum isometric contractions lasting 3 s, with 1 min of rest between each attempt. Peak isometric force (peakIF) and RFD were evaluated. Results Both handcyclists reached the maximum mean values of RFD for bench press and bent over row at 60 ms and produced the highest RFD during the isometric bench press test. Outcomes obtained through the proposed evaluation protocol provide an acute insight into the strength-training status of handcyclists athletes (i.e., peakIF and RFD). Conclusion Given the key importance of strength training for handcycling performance, assessing RFD for bench press and bent over row, especially at 60 ms, can be useful for assessing the neuromuscular profile of handcyclists athletes and guiding coaches at strength-training prescription.
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