The effect of core stability on male water polo players’ jump height and throwing velocity

BACKGROUND Water polo is a highly competitive and physical sport where athletes are continuously looking for ways to improve their performance and reduce injuries. Core stability has been extensively studied in its role to improve athletic performance and to reduce the risk of injuries in overhead throwing athletes. AIM To determine the role of core stability in male water polo players’ by identifying the relationship between core stability, jump height and throwing velocity. OBJECTIVES To measure core stability, jump height (cm) and throwing velocity (km/h) in male water polo players and to identify if any correlations exist between them. METHOD Core stability was assessed in twenty-six asymptomatic male water polo athletes using the PRONE and SUPINE tests. Participants jump height (cm) and throwing velocity (km/h) were measured using a modified yard stick and speed radar gun. IBM SPSS version 24 was used to analyse the data. A probability (p) value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS The mean values for jump height were calculated at maximum head height (64.22 cm) and head height at ball release (59.50 cm) respectively. Throwing velocities ranged from 50.33 km/h to 77.33 km/h. There was a significant relationship between: core stability and maximum head height (p=0.027), head height at ball release (p=0.025) and throwing velocity (p=0.001). Significant correlations were depicted among the three outcome measures. The strongest relationship was between maximum head height and head height at ball release (r = 0.945). CONCLUSION The results of this study show that core stability significantly affects throwing velocity and jump height in water polo athletes with the largest difference being between moderate and excellent core stability.