THE STATUS OF THE BODY POSTURE, BONE AND MUSCULAR SYSTEMS OF WATER POLO PLAYERS

Introduction: The sport-specific movements of water polo influence the postural characteristics of the players, favoring injuries that occur at the joint or muscle level. Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of postural deficiencies among athletes in the National Water Polo Super League. Secondary objectives included assessing bone mineral density, analyzing body composition, and evaluating muscular strength, with a particular focus on the trunk and shoulder muscle groups. Material and method: The study included 12 water polo players from the University Sports Club Oradea. The evaluation of the subjects was structured along four main dimensions: posture (using a 3D global postural system), muscle strength (with a wireless hand-held dynamometer), body composition (using the bioelectrical impedance method), and bone mineralization (using a calcaneal quantitative ultrasound device). Results: From the perspective of postural status, asymmetries were observed between the two sides of the body, along with postural deficiencies affecting the spinal column, knees, and feet. Regarding bone and muscular status, the presence of osteopenia was identified, indicating bone demineralization with 67% of them showing signs of osteopenia, while at the same time, slight muscle imbalance was observed. Conclusion: It can be stated that all athletes presented at least one postural deviation, the most common asymmetries being between tat the acromia and superior iliac spines level, with slight muscle strength imbalance at the shoulder level. Regarding the bone mineralization, the presence of osteopenia was identified in the majority of athletes.