Author(s): PATANÈ, P., RE, F., STURARO, E., FEBBI, M., VANDONI, M., CARNEVALE PELLINO, V., GATTI, A., MARIN, L., Institution: MASTER DEGREE COURSE OF MOTOR SCIENCES, Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 778

INTRODUCTION:
The literature shows that sports activities improve the overall well-being of the individual, inducing the body to produce endorphins. There is a significant reduction in stress levels and an overall improvement in the perception of ones body image even among people living with disabilities.
Freestyle Motocross is a sport activity, born from motocross, in which athletes perform stunts during jumps. In Italy, in 2008, the champion Vanni Odera, with a multidisciplinary team, created the "Freestyle Motocross Therapy" (FMX). An adapted version that allows people living with disabilities to get on a motorcycle with a trained rider, and ride a safe track. FMX has also been carried out with great success in hospitals, but the acute effects on participants functional capabilities have not yet been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of an FMX session on the explosive strength of the upper limbs of a sample of people living with different abilities.
METHODS:
Twelve people with different abilities (2 female), age 23±10.6, where recruited, received study information, signed an informed consent and completed the Satisfaction Profile (SAT-P) questionnaire, which investigates quality of life. Each person freely choose one of the three motocross events, held in Northern Italy between 15/05/2022 and 15/10/2022 , at the end of which perform the FMX. The posture on the bike was adapted to the abilities of each participant who could sit: on the side, on the tank with the legs crossed or on the passenger seat. To assess the explosive strength of the upper limbs, participants performed the medicine ball throw test (2 kg.) before (T0) and after (T1) the FMX. In both sessions, three throws were done and the best result, misured in meters, was considered.
RESULTS:
SAT-P shows that the quality-of-life levels of the sample are homogeneous among the participants. In the medicine ball throw, 11 out of 12 participants improved the achieved distance at T1 compared to T0; the result, expressed as mean and standard deviation, (2.62±0.91; 2.10±1.07) is statistically significant (P-Value < 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
Data show that, in acute, the FMX experience improved explosive strength.
Since we haven’t done interventions to improve muscle strength, it’s clear that results are due to a nervous system response. Moreover, caregivers reported that for a few days there were improvements in the performance of activities of daily living and mood. Although more studies are needed, it’s possible to hypothesize that FMX may be a good integration of the care pathway of people living with different abilities.