Affiliations: School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of
Technology, Perth, Western Australia | School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences,
Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia | Physical Education Sport and Leisure Studies, The
University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Angus Burnett, Research Fellow,
School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box 1987, Perth,
WA 6485, Australia. E-mail: a.burnett@curtin.edu.au
Abstract: Objective: To compare two neck strength training modalities. Background: Neck injury in pilots flying high performance
aircraft is a concern in aviation medicine. Strength training may be an
effective means to strengthen the neck and decrease injury risk. Methods: The cohort consisted of 32 age-height-weight matched
participants, divided into two experimental groups; the Multi-Cervical Unit
(MCU) and Thera-Band tubing groups (THER), and a control (CTRL) group. Ten
weeks of training were undertaken and pre-and post isometric strength testing
for all groups was performed on the MCU. Comparisons between the three groups
were made using a Kruskal-Wallis test and effect sizes between the MCU and the
THER groups and the THER and CTRL groups were also calculated. Results: The MCU group displayed the greatest increase in
isometric strength (flexion 64.4%, extension 62.9%, left lateral flexion
53.3%, right lateral flexion 49.1%) and differences were only statistically
significant (p<0.05) when compared to the CTRL group. Increases in neck
strength for the THER group were lower than that shown in the MCU group
(flexion 42.0%, extension 29.9%, left lateral flexion 26.7%, right lateral
flexion 24.1%). Moderate to large effect sizes were found between the MCU and
THER as well as the THER and CTRL groups. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the MCU was the most
effective training modality to increase isometric cervical muscle strength.
Thera-Band tubing did however, produce moderate gains in isometric neck
strength
Keywords: Neck, strength training, isometric, +Gz force, high performance pilots
