Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the magnitude and shape of the forces applied on the foot rest, foot strap, and paddle. Thirteen elite male kayakers participated in this study and performed a 2-min test simulating 500 m race pace in a kayak ergometer. Forces applied by the kayakers on the paddle, foot rest, and foot strap were measured with load cells and recorded by an electronic measuring system. The magnitude of the peak forces applied on the foot rest (left: 543.27 ± 85.93; right: 524.39 ± 88.36) approximately doubled the ones applied on the paddle (left: 236.37 ± 19.32; right: 243.92 ± 28.89). The forces on the foot strap were similar in magnitude to the paddle forces (left: 240.09 ± 74.92; right: 231.05 ± 52.01). A positive correlation was found between the peak forces applied on the foot rest and paddle on the same side (p < 0.001). When comparing the best and worst kayakers’ performance, the best showed greater forces magnitudes and synchronization of the peak forces. Analyses of the force–time curves, including not only the forces applied by the kayaker on the paddle but also the ones applied on the foot rest and strap, should be considered relevant in terms of technique analyses.
Highlights
In sprint kayaking, the athlete produces force to move the kayak forward, and these forces are transmitted to the water by the paddle blade and to the kayak by the foot rest, foot strap, and seat [1]
These results were confirmed in an on-water kayaking study, comparing restricted and unrestricted, and concluded that the restriction of lower limbs leads to a significant reduction of the kayak velocity (−16%) and a decrease of the bilateral mean stroke force (−21%), in terms of the time pattern of the occurrence of the peak force on the foot rest and foot strap, there were no significant changes [1]
A small number of studies have analyzed kayaking kinetics and its relationship with performance on a kayak ergometer [2] and on-water situation [7,8] and were more centered on the forces applied on the paddle
Summary
The athlete produces force to move the kayak forward, and these forces are transmitted to the water by the paddle blade and to the kayak by the foot rest, foot strap, and seat [1]. When comparing performances involving restricted and unrestricted pelvic girdle and lower limbs movement on a kayak ergometer, unrestricted movements were associated with better blade velocities (+0.2 to 0.4 m·s−1), higher paddling impulse (+3.5 N·s), significant increases in strength throughout the paddle cycle, decrease in mechanical work (−4%), better propulsion (+6%), and an increase in the performance (+6%) [5] These results were confirmed in an on-water kayaking study, comparing restricted and unrestricted, and concluded that the restriction of lower limbs leads to a significant reduction of the kayak velocity (−16%) and a decrease of the bilateral mean stroke force (−21%), in terms of the time pattern of the occurrence of the peak force on the foot rest and foot strap, there were no significant changes [1]. Futhermore, the impulse of the push forces on the foot rest over 10 s showed the highest correlation to maximum kayak velocity [6]
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