Athletics Track Research Articles

Increase In Asymmetry During A 20 Minute Threshold Run On An Athletic Track

The etiology of running related injuries is still not fully understood. It is supposed to be multifactorial and asymmetry has been proposed as a contributing factor. Asymmetry might occur or increase due to exercise induced fatigue. Most research on asymmetry has been performed within the limitations of the laboratory setting. Inertial Magnetic Measurement Units (IMU’s) enable these measurements in the sport-specific setting PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of a 20 minute threshold run on an athletic track on asymmetry as indicated by 3D Center of Mass (COM) movement. METHODS: Five trained and injury free male runners (Age=29.8+/-3.0 yr, height=183.6+/-1.3 cm, weight 78.8+/-9.5 kg) participated in this study. Runners were equipped with an IMU sampling at 100 HZ, placed at the sacrum. 3D COM movement was calculated from gyroscope accelero- and magnetometer IMU data. A 20 min. threshold run was performed at Critical Velocity, based on the runners’ 10 km seasonal, best to impose exercise induced fatigue. Two stages were defined at the beginning (S1) and end (S2) of the run where mean COM displacements for the stride cycles of the both legs were calculated over 75 strides. An ANOVA was used to test for significant changes in COM displacement within a runner. RESULTS: COM displacement changed significantly over the two stages for all subjects for the right leg but only in two subjects for the left leg, indicating an increase in asymmetry in three runners.Table 1: COM displacements during the stride cycle of the right and left leg with their significance.CONCLUSIONS: Asymmetry, as defined by 3D Center of Mass (COM) movement, increased in three of the five runners during a 20 min threshold run at constant velocity. An increase in asymmetry during a run might indicate different joint loading and subsequently additional muscle work which eventually could lead to injuries.

Peak Tibial Acceleration During A 20 Minute Threshold Run On The Athletic Track

Peak Tibial Acceleration During A 20 Minute Threshold Run On The Athletic Track

Quality assessment of an Ultra-Wide Band positioning system for indoor wheelchair court sports

Ultra-Wide Band radio positioning systems are maturing very quickly and now represent a good candidate for indoor positioning. The aim of this study was to undertake a quality assessment on the use of a commercial Ultra-Wide Band positioning system for the tracking of athletes during indoor wheelchair court sports. Several aspects have been investigated including system set-up, calibration, sensor positioning, determination of sport performance indicators and quality assessment of the output. With a simple set-up procedure, it has been demonstrated that athletes tracking can be achieved with an average horizontal positioning error of 0.37 m (σ = ± 0.24 m). The distance covered can be computed after data processing with an error below 0.5% of the course length. It has also been demonstrated that the tag update rate and the number of wheelchairs on the court do not affect significantly the positioning quality; however, for highly dynamic movement tracking, higher rates are recommended for a finer dynamic recording.

Jography: Exploring Meanings, Experiences and Spatialities of Recreational Road-running

Jogging is a relatively under-researched mobile practice with much existing literature focusing on ‘serious’ and competitive running. In this paper, we provide an account of some of the movements, meanings and experiences that together help produce the practice of jogging in the south-western English city of Plymouth. Drawing upon participant diaries and interviews, we uncover rich detail about how joggers ascribe not one but a number of meanings to their practice. Some of these are positive, some are negative; some complement each other and some compete with each other. We also consider how the experiences of joggers can be shaped by their ongoing need to develop tactics capable of enabling them to negotiate space with non-joggers. This is in some contrast to more competitive running that occurs in the separated space of an athletics track. Our sense is that better awareness of the meanings and experiences of jogging will be of value if the advertised health and sustainability benefits of the practice are to be more effectively encouraged and promoted.

Variables predictoras de la ansiedad en atletas veteranos españoles (Predictors variables of anxiety in the Spanish master athletes)

En los últimos años se ha producido en España un incremento muy significativo de adultos mayores de 35 años que frecuentemente entrenan y compiten a todos los niveles en pistas de atletismo. Son los atletas veteranos y, sobre ellos, no hay ningún estudio a nivel nacional y son muy pocos los que hay a nivel internacional. Por ello, el objetivo de la presente investigación será; por un lado, conocer sus hábitos de entrenamiento, historial atlético y nivel de ansiedad, analizando las diferencias por sexo; por otro, obtener unos modelos predictivos de su ansiedad en función de sus hábitos de entrenamiento e historial atlético. Se parte de la hipótesis de que, en los atletas veteranos españoles, en ambos sexos, debe existir una moderada ansiedad precompetitiva (cognitiva y somática) y alta autoconfianza, y de que la ansiedad se podrá predecir por puntuar alto en el otro estado de ansiedad, por puntuar bajo en autoconfianza, así como por entrenar menos días a la semana y llevar menos años entrenando, por el mayor nivel de la competición en la que participa y por no tener apoyo de un entrenador. Por el contrario, la autoconfianza se podrá predecir por puntuar bajo en los dos estados de ansiedad, así como por entrenar más días a la semana y llevar más años entrenando, por el menor nivel de la competición en la que participa y por tener apoyo de un entrenador. Los resultados confirmaron la hipótesis en cuanto a los niveles de ansiedad y autoconfianza pero, sin embargo, se obtuvieron resultados inesperados en cuanto a la predicción de las mismas que posteriormente se discuten.Palabra clave: adultos, ansiedad, entrenamiento, rendimiento, motivación.Abstract: In recent years Spain has seen a very significant increase in adults over 35 who often train and compete at all levels in athletics tracks. They are master athletes and, above them, there is no nationwide study and very few internationally there. Therefore, the objective of this research is on the one hand, know their training habits, athletic history and their anxiety level, analyzing gender differences, and secondly, obtain predictive models of anxiety based on their training habits and athletic history. We start from the assumption that, in the Spanish veteran athletes, in both sexes, there should be a moderate pre-competitive anxiety (cognitive and somatic) and high self-confidence, and anxiety will be predict by a high score in the other state of anxiety, by scoring low in self-confidence as well as to train fewer days a week and take less years training, for the highest level of competition in which they participates and not having support from a coach. By contrast, self-confidence can be predicted by low rate in the two states of anxiety, by training more days a week and have more years training, by the lower level of the competition in which it participates and for having supported a coach. The results confirmed the hypothesis regarding levels of anxiety and self-confidence but, however, unexpected results were obtained regarding the prediction thereof which are discussed later.Key words: adults, anxiety, training, performance, motivation.

Modeling Intermittent Running from a Single-visit Field Test.

This study assessed whether the distance-time relationship could be modeled to predict time to exhaustion (TTE) during intermittent running. 13 male distance runners (age: 33±14 years) completed a field test and 3 interval tests on an outdoor 400 m athletic track. Field-tests involved trials over 3 600 m, 2 400 m and 1 200 m with a 30-min rest between each run. Interval tests consisted of: 1 000 m at 107% of CS with 200 m at 95% CS; 600 m at 110% of CS with 200 m at 90% CS; 200 m at 150% of CS with 200 m at 80% CS. Interval sessions were separated by 24 h recovery. Field-test CS and D' were applied to linear and non-linear models to estimate the point of interval session termination. Actual and predicted TTE using the linear model were not significantly different in the 1 000 m and 600 m trials. Actual TTE was significantly lower (P=0.01) than predicted TTE in the 200 m trial. Typical error was high across the trials (range 334-1 709 s). The mean balance of D' remaining at interval session termination was significantly lower when estimated from the non-linear model (-21.2 vs. 13.4 m, P<0.01), however no closer to zero than the linear model. Neither the linear or non-linear model could closely predict TTE during intermittent running.

The validity of endurance running performance on the Curve 3TM non-motorised treadmill

This study aimed to test the validity of a non-motorised treadmill (NMT) for the measurement of self-paced overground endurance running performance. Ten male runners performed randomised 5-km running time trials on a NMT and an outdoor athletics track. A range of physiological and perceptual responses was measured, and foot strike was classified subjectively. Performance time was strongly correlated (r = 0.82, ICC = 0.86) between running modes, despite running time being significantly longer on the NMT (1264 ± 124 s vs. 1536 ± 130 s for overground and NMT, respectively; P < 0.001). End blood lactate concentration and rating of perceived exertion were significantly higher on the NMT compared to overground. Integrated electromyography was significantly lower on the NMT for three muscles (P < 0.05), and mean stride rate was also significantly lower on the NMT (P = 0.04). Cardiorespiratory responses of heart rate, oxygen uptake and expired air volume demonstrated strong correlations (r = 0.68–0.96, ICC = 0.75–0.97) and no statistical differences (P > 0.05). Runners were consistently slower on the NMT, and as such it should not be used to measure performance over a specific distance. However, the strong correlations suggest that superior overground performance was reflected in relative terms on the NMT, and therefore, it is a valid tool for the assessment of endurance running performance in the laboratory.

Meta-narrative analysis of sports injury reporting practices based on the Injury Definitions Concept Framework (IDCF): A review of consensus statements and epidemiological studies in athletics (track and field).

Consistency in routines for reporting injury has been a focus of development efforts in sports epidemiology for a long time. To gain an improved understanding of current reporting practices, we applied the Injury Definitions Concept Framework (IDCF) in a review of injury reporting in a subset of the field. Meta-narrative review. An analysis of injury definitions reported in consensus statements for different sports and studies of injury epidemiology in athletics (track and field) published in PubMed between 1980 and 2013 was performed. Separate narratives for each of the three reporting contexts in the IDCF were constructed from the data. Six consensus statements and 14 studies reporting on athletics injury epidemiology fulfilled the selection criteria. The narratives on sports performance, clinical examination, and athlete self-report contexts were evenly represented in the eligible studies. The sports performance and athlete self-report narratives covered both professional and community athletes as well as training and competition settings. In the clinical examination narrative, data collection by health service professionals was linked to studies of professional athletes at international championships. From an application of the IDCF in a review of injury reporting in sports epidemiology we observed a parallel usage of reporting contexts in this field of research. The co-existence of reporting methodologies does not necessarily reflect a problematic situation, but only provided that firm precautions are taken when comparing studies performed in the different contexts.

Research on Biological Safety and Application of Nano-Materials in Sports Engineering

nanomaterials have been widely used in sports stadiums, sports turf, athletics track, sports apparel, sports equipment and sports supplements. nanomaterials, however, may have a negative impact on cell lung tissue, liver tissue and brain tissue. Actually, there is a certain biological security risk in it. When the full use of nanomaterials in sports are been taken, the positive effects of development projects and biological research on nanomaterials should be emphasized.

Test course navette de 20 metros con etapas de un minuto. Una idea original que perdura hace 30 años

To 30 years of their publication, the course navette test of 20 meters with stages of oneminute (20m-SRT) continues being the test but used worldwide, so much in the area of health, school and sport. This is due to the feasibility, validity in a wide range of ages and populations, reliability and sensibility. However the main reason of its applicability is due to the original idea of running in a reduced space of 20 meters, without the necessity of using an athletics track. The present article has as objective to revise the most outstanding investigation works in the 20m-SRT published in the last 30 years and its applicability in the field.

Comparação entre desempenhos de corrida time trial realizados em pista e esteira

Few studies have investigated the influence of test environment (field vs. laboratory) on pacing strategy and on physiological variables measured during endurance running performance tests. The objective of this study was therefore to compare the behavior of mean velocity (MV), pacing strategy, heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during one-hour running time trials conducted on an athletics track with the behavior of the same variables during one-hour running time trials conducted on a treadmill. Eighteen male recreational runners (25.4 ± 3.3 years) performed two one-hour time trials; the first running on a treadmill and the second on a 400 m athletics track. Rating of perceived exertion and HR were recorded every 10 minutes and MV was calculated every 15 minutes for analysis of pacing strategy (0-15min; 15-30min; 30-45min; and 45-60min). These performance variables were compared using Student's t test for paired samples. Figures for MV, HR and RPE measured at different points during the trials were compared using two-factor ANOVA for repeated measures, followed by Bonferroni's post hoc test. A significance level of P < 0.05 was adopted for all analyses. Mean velocity was higher for the trials on the running track (12.2 ± 0.8 km·h-1) than for the trials on the treadmill (11.8 ± 0.8 km·h-1). Additionally, there were also differences between the two test environments for mean and maximum heart rate, and in terms of pacing strategy. On the basis of these differences, it can be concluded that performance was influenced by the environment in which the one-hour time trials were conducted.

Movement profiles of elite women soccer players during international matches and the effect of opposition’s team ranking

Movement patterns in elite men’s soccer have been reported in depth, but less research exists for women’s soccer. Aims of the study were to identify the movement profiles of elite women soccer players in international competition and examine the effect the level of opposition, based on Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rankings, had on the physical demands of the game. MinimaxX athlete tracking devices were used by 15 players during 13 international matches against opponent teams of varying ability. Total distance covered averaged 9292 ± 175 m. There was a decrease in high-intensity running (HIR) in the 60- to 75-min and 75- to 90-min periods compared to the 0- to 15-min period of 22.4% and 26.1%, respectively (P = 0.022, P = 0.004) although sprint distances remained unchanged across game periods. HIR distances covered were significantly greater for midfielders versus defenders, while defenders had lower sprinting compared to both midfielders and attackers. Stronger opponents elicited less HIR and greater low-speed activity (LSA) compared to playing teams of similar or lower ranking. These results are important to coaches to prepare players for international competition and show the differing demands required depending on the ability of the opponents.

Injury and illness definitions and data collection procedures for use in epidemiological studies in Athletics (track and field): Consensus statement

BackgroundMovement towards sport safety in Athletics through the introduction of preventive strategies requires consensus on definitions and methods for reporting epidemiological data in the various populations of athletes.ObjectiveTo define health-related...

A Single-Visit Field Test of Critical Speed

To compare critical speed (CS) measured from a single-visit field test of the distance-time relationship with the "traditional" treadmill time-to-exhaustion multivisit protocol. Ten male distance runners completed treadmill and field tests to calculate CS and the maximum distance performed above CS (D'). The field test involved 3 runs on a single visit to an outdoor athletics track over 3600, 2400, and 1200 m. Two field-test protocols were evaluated using either a 30-min recovery or a 60-min recovery between runs. The treadmill test involved runs to exhaustion at 100%, 105%, and 110% of velocity at VO2max, with 24 h recovery between runs. There was no difference in CS measured with the treadmill and 30-min- and 60-minrecovery field tests (P < .05). CS from the treadmill test was highly correlated with CS from the 30- and 60-min-recovery field tests (r = .89, r = .82; P < .05). However there was a difference and no correlation in D' between the treadmill test and the 30 and 60-min-recovery field tests (r = .13; r = .33, P > .05). A typical error of the estimate of 0.14 m/s (95% confidence limits 0.09-0.26 m/s) was seen for CS and 88 m (95% confidence limits 60-169 m) for D'. A coefficient of variation of 0.4% (95% confidence limits: 0.3-0.8%) was found for repeat tests of CS and 13% (95% confidence limits 10-27%) for D'. The single-visit method provides a useful alternative for assessing CS in the field.

USAGE OF THERMOGRAPHY AS INDIRECT NON-INVASIVE METHOD OF EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL EFFICIENCY. PILOT STUDY

Introduction. One of main features deciding on functional abilities and agility of a man is his conative efficiency. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of physical effort on changes of skin temperature of each body areas and the analysis of dependence between the body temperature and the level of maximum absorption of oxygen (VO2max). Material and methods: The study group consisted of 7 women at about average age of 23.86 (+-0.69) years. All participants of the study were healthy, did not have overweight nor chronic illnesses. They also did not do sport professionally. During the research each participant performed the effort in the form of 6 - 8-minute-long step Astrand - Rhyming test and then 10-12-minute-long run on the athletic track. Before and after the effort the women were examined by means of thermo visual cameras (temperature in front and back of the body). In the moment of effort ending studied persons had heart rate measured with heart rate monitor. Results. Statistically non-exchangeable temperature reduction of body surface on thighs, forearms, arms, trunk (both in front as well as the back) and behind shins was observed during the study. The greatest drop of about -1.13 В°C, appeared behind shoulders, least, about -0.04 В°C, on the back surface of the trunk. Only on front side of shins the temperature increased in non-exchangeable manner, about +0.06 В°C. The important dependence (p<0.05) between the change of temperature in front (r=-0.82) and the back of the trunk (r=-0.78) as well as VO2max was shown. Conclusions: The higher pulse was measured at the studied participant the lower VO2max values were. There is dependence between the thermal reaction and the efficiency - the greater drop of temperature on the trunk the higher VO2max was. Thermal observation can be therefore helpful as indirect estimation of the efficiency in medicine and rehabilitation.

A Finite Element Model for the Prediction of Force Reduction of Athletics Tracks

The Force Reduction (FR) impact test, performed by means of an apparatus called artificial athlete, has been chosen by IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) as a standard to evaluate the performance of athletics tracks. The test procedure consists in dropping a mass on the sample, recording the evolution of the impact force and taking its maximum value normalized with respect to a reference one. In this work a Finite Element (FE) model of the FR test was developed to investigate the effects of sample thickness and material properties. Two athletics tracks and, for comparison, a sample of natural rubber were considered. Their mechanical behaviour was characterized, extrapolated to the strain rate of interest and modelled using hyperelastic constitutive equations. With data so derived a number of numerical (FE) simulations of the FR test on the three materials with varying thickness were performed. The FR values predicted by the simulations resulted to be in very good agreement with experimental FR data, particularly for thicknesses of practical interest. Finally, the suitability of an alternative model based on a linear elastic constitutive relationship was considered and results were discussed.

Ingeborg Mello: “Two Lives” in Sport

In the course of her long and successful athletic career, track and field champion Ingeborg Mello (1919–2009) was active within politically charged contexts that underscore the use of sport as a means of social exclusion or integration. Born in Berlin, she began as a promising teenage athlete on the Jewish sport scene of National Socialist Germany and finished as one of the finest Argentine athletes of all time. This paper describes Mello’s early athletic experience, the circumstances of her departure from the country of her birth and her “second life” as a sporting star in Argentina from the late 1930s until 1974. Having earned fame by reason of her courage and self-control in competition, she scored numerous international and national victories, set several records and represented Argentina at two Olympic Games. Ingeborg Mello overcame adversity to make a fascinating contribution to international sport.

Poets and athletes: Olympic winners and losers in early Greek lyric

Ancient Greek society was extremely competitive; amongst the nobility especially there was the constant need for an ideal of achievement on the battlefield or athletics track and to integrate this into the family history. In the absence of the role the present-day media plays in our society, three poets in particular recorded, propagated and praised the achievements of athletes at the Olympic and other games: Simonides, Pindar and Bacchylides. For a winner they composed a special victory hymn, the epinikion, an elevated ode sung by a chorus with musical accompaniment. In this article extracts of such poems are analysed in order to illustrate the poets’ views regarding winners and losers.

Validation of One-Mile Walk Equations for the Estimation of Aerobic Fitness in British Military Personnel Under the Age of 40 Years

To provide an accurate estimate of peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) for British Royal Navy Personnel aged between 18 and 39, comparing a gold standard treadmill based maximal exercise test with a submaximal one-mile walk test. Two hundred military personnel consented to perform a treadmill-based VO2 peak test and two one-mile walk tests round an athletics track. The estimated VO2 peak values from three different one-mile walk equations were compared to directly measured VO2 peak values from the treadmill-based test. One hundred participants formed a validation group from which a new equation was derived and the other 100 participants formed the cross-validation group. Existing equations underestimated the VO2 peak values of the fittest personnel and overestimated the VO2 peak of the least aerobically fit by between 2% and 18%. The new equation derived from the validation group has less bias, the highest correlation with the measured values (r = 0.83), and classified the most people correctly according to the Royal Navy's Fitness Test standards, producing the fewest false positives and false negatives combined (9%). The new equation will provide a more accurate estimate of VO2 peak for a British military population aged 18 to 39.

Study of Sport Devices Based on Nanomaterial

The nanomaterials have been widely used in stadiums, sports turf, athletics track, sports apparel, sports equipment and sports supplements, nanomaterial into the body may bring cell lung tissue, liver and kidney tissue, brain tissue negative impact, there are some biological safety hazard. Take full advantage of the positive effects on the development of Sports Engineering nanomaterials should be paid attention to and strengthen the study of biological nanomaterials.