In the past decade several studies addressed the complex structure of sport related injuries. In large epidemiological and aetiological surveys it has been clearly demonstrated that damages to the ankle and knee joint are the most frequent injuries in many sport disciplines including alpine and nordic ski. Two types of injuries need to be separated: chronic injuries are related to long lasting overloads of specific biological structures, whereas acute injuries are determined by extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors that result in a harmful combination for a specific Situation. Since years prospective studies concentrate on various types of training in order to lest their benefits in the prevention of ankle and knee joint injuries. In some of these studies it was shown that sensorimotor training can be highly effective to reduce incidence rates of injuries at the lower extremity. Beside the preventive effect of sensorimotor training there is some evidence that this kind of training is able to enhance athletic performance. It is well known that sensorimotor training increases static as well as dynamic balance. Moreover, longitudinal studies showed that sensorimotor training is associated with a pronounced improvement in muscle power (rate of force development as well as jumping height). This was shown even in highly trained athletes (ski Jumpers) after a six week program of sensorimotor training that was added to their "normal" strength training. Several studies examined the physiological mechanisms to this type of training in order to explain functional adaptations like improved power and massive reductions in injury incidences. It has been shown that after training both spinal and corticospinal excitability was altered. These results suggest that both spinal and corticospinal pathways are sensitive to this type of training. This plasticity of the neural system has been used to explain improved motor coordination under dynamic conditions. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that enhanced muscle power was associated with enhanced neuromuscular activation at the onset of voluntary isometric muscle contractions. These observations clearly support the functional importance of sensorimotor training in strength training programs for alpine and nordic ski disciplines.
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