Athletic Movements Research Articles

Dynamic of arm’s micro movements of elite athlete in Olympic exercises Rapid Fire Pistol and Air Pistol

Dynamic of arm’s micro movements of elite athlete in Olympic exercises Rapid Fire Pistol and Air Pistol

Effects of a Six-Week Hip Thrust vs. Front Squat Resistance Training Program on Performance in Adolescent Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Contreras, B, Vigotsky, AD, Schoenfeld, BJ, Beardsley, C, McMaster, DT, Reyneke, JHT, and Cronin, JB. Effects of a six-week hip thrust vs. front squat resistance training program on performance in adolescent males: A randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 999-1008, 2017-The barbell hip thrust may be an effective exercise for increasing horizontal force production and may thereby enhance performance in athletic movements requiring a horizontal force vector, such as horizontal jumping and sprint running. The ergogenic ability of the squat is well known. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 6-week front squat and hip thrust programs in adolescent male athletes. Vertical jump height, horizontal jump distance, 10- and 20-m sprint times, and isometric midthigh pull peak force were among the measured performance variables, in addition to front squat and hip thrust 3 repetition maximum (3RM) strength. Magnitude-based effect sizes revealed potentially beneficial effects for the front squat in both front squat 3RM strength and vertical jump height when compared with the hip thrust. No clear benefit for one intervention was observed for horizontal jump performance. Potentially beneficial effects were observed for the hip thrust compared with the front squat in 10- and 20-m sprint times. The hip thrust was likely superior for improving normalized isometric midthigh pull strength and very likely superior for improving hip thrust 3RM and isometric midthigh pull strength. These results support the force vector theory.

IS MOVEMENT OF LOWER EXTREMITY DURING SPORTS MANEUVERS SIMILAR?

BackgroundAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury occurs in left leg more frequently than right leg. Authors have developed new screening test using a situationally bicycle to detecting malalignment represented by a...

Using Informational Technologies in the Training Process of Qualified Athletes

From year to year, the level of athlete's outcomes in different kinds of sports increases to an extremely high level. Taking into account this fact and the rapid development of information technologies in the world, there is an urgent problem of the review of modern computer programs and monitoring systems that can be used in sports, in particular in athletics. The purpose of our work was to analyze modern computer programs and monitoring systems that can be used in the training process of qualified athletes. The task of the work was to determine the peculiarities of the application of information and computer technologies in track and field athletics. The analysis of modern computer programs and monitoring systems in the field of physical culture and sports was carried out, their brief characteristics (Polar – «ProTrainer 5», Dartfish – «Dartfish Connect 5,5», Qualistys video computing complex, Fusion Smartspeed software package, Opto electronic system Opto-Gate (Jump), IMOOV three-dimensional evaluation system, SportKat 650TS simulator of stability and equilibrium, Quintic Biomechanics, Simi – Simi Matchix, Activio Sport monitoring system, Monokra 840E Monoker 840E, Myotest system). As a result of the task accomplished, modern computer technologies have been identified that provide real-time data on the functional state and the level of physical development of athletes, as well as the prevention of injuries and the preservation of health. The presented analysis of computer programs is used to obtain indicators of the level of development of physical qualities and the main characteristics of the technique of performing exercises through the use of a 3D optical-optical image. It has been established that modern research of sports equipment indicators is carried out using video-computer programs that analyze the athlete's movements. Individual computer programs use their capabilities to rehabilitate athletes.

CSM 2017 Sports Physical Therapy Section Poster Presentations (Abstracts SPO1–SPO152)

CSM 2017 Sports Physical Therapy Section Poster Presentations (Abstracts SPO1–SPO152)

Wearable Devices for Sports: New Integrated Technologies Allow Coaches, Physicians, and Trainers to Better Understand the Physical Demands of Athletes in Real time.

Elite-level athletes and professional sports teams are continually searching for opportunities to improve athletic performance and gain a competitive advantage on the field. Advances in technology have provided new avenues to maximize player health and safety. Over the last decade, time?motion analysis systems, such as video recording and computer digitization, have been used to measure human locomotion and improve sports performance. While these techniques were state of the art at the time, their usefulness is inhibited by the questionable validity of the acquired data, the labor-intensive nature of collecting data with manual hand-notation techniques, and their inability to track athlete position, movement, displacement, and velocity.

Effects of scapular taping on the activity onset of scapular muscles and the scapular kinematics in volleyball players with rotator cuff tendinopathy.

To examine the effect of scapular taping on the activity onset of scapular muscles and the scapular kinematics during arm elevation in volleyball players with rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. Randomized placebo-controlled repeated measures METHODS: Twenty-six male volleyball players with RC tendinopathy (mean age=23.6±3.3years) participated in the study. Electromyography (EMG) activity onset of upper trapezius (UT), middle trapezius (MT), lower trapezius (LT) and serratus anterior (SA) and the three-dimensional scapular kinematics quantified by using an acromial marker cluster method were compared with three scapular taping protocols, namely, no taping, therapeutic taping, and placebo taping. The MT, LT and SA activated significantly earlier in both therapeutic taping (all p<0.005) and placebo taping conditions than no taping conditions (all p<0.002). There was a small increase in the scapular upward rotation when therapeutic taping and no taping conditions were compared (p=0.007). Scapular taping may enhance the neuromotor control of the scapular muscles. Whether it provides adequate support for normal scapular kinematics during arm movement in athletes with RC tendinopathy await for further studies.

Application of Athletic Movement Tests that Predict Injury Risk in a Military Population: Development of Normative Data.

Determine differences in physical performance assessments and describe normative values for these tests based on military unit type. Assessment of power, balance, mobility, motor control, and performance on the Army Physical Fitness Test were assessed in a cohort of 1,466 soldiers. Analysis of variance was performed to compare the results based on military unit type (Rangers, Combat, Combat Service, and Combat Service Support) and analysis of covariance was performed to determine the influence of age and gender. Rangers performed the best on all performance and fitness measures (p < 0.05). Combat soldiers performed better than Combat Service and Service Support soldiers on several physical performance tests and the Army Physical Fitness Test (p < 0.05). Performance in Combat Service and Service Support soldiers was equivalent on most measures (p < 0.05). Functional performance and level of fitness varied significantly by military unit type. Understanding these differences will provide a foundation for future injury prediction and prevention strategies.

Effects of functional training on movement performance and balance in elite fencing athletes with patellar tendinopathy

Objective To investigate the effect of functional training on knee pain, functional movement screen (FMS) score and balance in Chinese elite fencing athletes with patellar tendinopathy. Methods Twenty-four fencing athletes with a diagnosed patellar tendinopathy were randomized into a treatment group (TG) and a control group (CG), each of 12. Both groups were given routine physical therapy, while TG received motor function training in addition for eight weeks. Both groups completed the numerical rating scale (NRS), FMS and balance test before and after the intervention. Results After the intervention, the average PRS and FMS of TG were 2.08±1.24 and 16.25±0.97 respectively, which significantly outperformed those of TG before the intervention and those of CG after the intervention(P<0.05). Moreover, TG indicated superior results in parameters of static postural balance including center of pressure, total length of swinging pathway, maximal length of swinging pathway, and area of swinging pathway when compared to TG before the intervention and CG after the intervention(P<0.05). Conclusion The motor functiontraining is effective in improving functional movement and balance in elite fencing athletes with patellar tendinopathy. Key words: Fencing; Patellar tendinopathy; Functional training; Functional movement screen; Balance

The Relationship Between Maximal Strength and Reactive Strength.

Maximum- and reactive-strength qualities both have important roles in athletic movements and sporting performance. Very little research has investigated the relationship between maximum strength and reactive strength. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between maximum-strength (isometric midthigh-pull peak force [IMTP PF]) and reactive-strength (drop-jump reactive-strength index [DJ-RSI]) variables at 0.3-m, 0.4-m, 0.5-m, and 0.6-m box heights. A secondary aim was to investigate the between- and within-group differences in reactive-strength characteristics between relatively stronger athletes (n = 11) and weaker athletes (n = 11). Forty-five college athletes across various sports were recruited to participate in the study (age, 23.7 ± 4.0 y; mass, 87.5 ± 16.1 kg; height, 1.80 ± 0.08 m). Pearson correlation results showed that there was a moderate association (r = .302-.431) between maximum-strength variables (absolute, relative, and allometric scaled PF) and RSI at 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 m (P ≤ .05). In addition, 2-tailed independent-samples t tests showed that the RSIs for relatively stronger athletes (49.59 ± 2.57 N/kg) were significantly larger than those of weaker athletes (33.06 ± 2.76 N/kg) at 0.4 m (Cohen d = 1.02), 0.5 m (d = 1.21), and 0.6 m (d = 1.39) (P ≤ .05). Weaker athletes also demonstrated significant decrements in RSI as eccentric stretch loads increased at 0.3-m through 0.6-m box heights, whereas stronger athletes were able to maintain their reactive-strength ability. This research highlights that in specific sporting scenarios, when there are high eccentric stretch loads and fast stretch-shortening-cycle demands, athletes' reactive-strength ability may be dictated by their relative maximal strength, specifically eccentric strength.

An unsupervised approach to detecting and isolating athletic movements.

To enable automatic analysis of athletic movement, the first task is to recognize the athletic movements to be analyzed from a continuous motion data stream. Automated detection of athletic movement and the isolation of the recruited body parts would enable the analysis of sporting movements for improving sports performance and preventing possible injuries. In this paper, an unsupervised method for detecting and isolating athletic movements is proposed. Given motion capture data, the method automatically identifies when athletic movements are being performed and the body parts involved using the concepts of the manipulability and kinematic dimensionality reduction. Experiments demonstrate the ability of the proposed approach to detect and isolate athletic movements from a variety of motion data.

A Development of Force Plate for Biomechanics Analysis of Standing and Walking

Force plates are known as an excellent teaching aid to demonstrate the kinematics and dynamics of motion and commonly used in biomechanics laboratories to measure ground forces involved in the motion of human. It is consist of a metal plate with sensors attached to give an electrical output proportional to the force on the plate. Moreover, force plates are useful for examining the kinetic characteristics of an athlete's movement. They provide information about the external forces involved in movement that can aid a coach or sports scientist to quantitatively evaluate the athlete's skill development. In this study, we develop our prototype of force plate with less than $100,- simply by using flexible force transducer attached inside rubber matt, in the form of square blocks (dimension: 250 mm × 150 mm × 10 mm), with maximum load up to 60 kg. The handmade force plate was tested by applying biomechanics analysis for standing and walking. The testing was done on Experimental Soccer Courses’ students at the Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation, University of Cenderawasih. The design of the force plate system together with biomechanics analysis will be discussed.

Mechanical Risk Factors for Stress Fracture in Elite Runners

Objectives:Bone stress injuries (BSI) are responsible for significant missed competition and training in distance runners. A recent review of our institution’s injury database revealed that one-fifth of NCAA-level runners sustained one or more BSI over a three-year period. While much is known about certain risk factors for stress injury such as the Female Athlete Triad, little is known about biomechanical risk factors including dynamic loading of the foot during running differs between athletes with history of BSI and those without. The aims of this study were: 1) characterize the dynamic loading patterns of elite distance runners during athletic movement, 2) determine the difference in dynamic loading magnitude and location in runners who have history of a BSI compared to non-injured runners and 3) establish a database to be used for follow-up evaluation. We hypothesized that athletes with a history of BSI in the lower extremity apply greater dynamic loads during athletic movements compared to uninjured athletes.Methods:We recruited 40 healthy varsity distance runners (16 females, 24 males) from our institution to participate in the study. Dynamic foot loading data was collected on all athletes using a validated wireless insole pressure measurement system during a series of athletic movements (e.g., walking, running and lateral cutting). Data was collected for contact area, maximum force, peak pressure, maximum mean pressure and force-time integral at each of eleven foot regions during each athletic movement. All force and pressure data were normalized to body weight. Injury history and other potential risk factors of interest were collected by self-report questionnaire and chart review. All BSI occurred as a result of participation of running, diagnosed by a physician and confirmed with advanced imaging. Mean values were calculated for each variable and foot region in each athlete and paired t-tests were performed for injury history comparisons.Results:A total of 23 runners with a history of 1 or more lower extremity BSI (11 females, 12 males), and 17 athletes with no history of BSI (5 females, 12 males) participated. Runners with a history of BSI trended toward greater peak pressures during running activities (p = .13) compared to uninjured controls, and displayed significantly greater peak pressures in the forefoot during cutting movements (p < .05). Further, those with history of BSI in the foot and ankle displayed greater force-time integral in the forefoot during running (p = .06). In the medial forefoot, athletes with history of BSI displayed significantly greater maximum mean pressures during jump takeoff (p < .05), running (p = .05) and cutting (p < .05). We did not observe a difference in foot strike patterns or FAAM Sport scores between injured and uninjured runners. Menstrual irregularities were seen in a majority of female athletes and were not associated with BSI.Conclusion:Our findings suggest that elite runners with a history of BSI exert greater pressures and force-time integral in the forefoot and medial midfoot during running and cutting compared to uninjured athletes. The greater loads in the forefoot and medial midfoot may play a role in the incidence and recurrence of BSI in running athletes. Further study of our athlete cohort will allow elucidation of specific high pressure points in the foot that may place athletes at risk for specific BSI, and allow us to investigate the utility of preventive measures.

Dynamic Loading Assessment at the Fifth Metatarsal in Elite Athletes with a history of Jones Fracture

Objectives:Fractures of the proximal metaphysis of the fifth metatarsal (i.e., Jones fractures) are common in the athletic population and frequently require surgical fixation to optimize healing rates and return to sport. Subtle hindfoot varus alignment, which likely results in greater forces at the fifth metatarsal, has been associated with increased risk of Jones fractures due to presumed increase in forces on the lateral foot. The goal of the present study was to dynamically assess plantar pressure loads at the fifth metatarsal in elite athletes with a history of Jones fracture. We hypothesize that athletes who have suffered Jones fractures will apply significantly higher loads at the fifth metatarsal base during athletic activities compared to matched uninjured athletes.Methods:Sixteen elite, competitive athletes were recruited to participate. Eight athletes had a history of Jones fracture and eight age, gender and position-matched athletes without a history of foot injury were recruited as controls. While wearing calibrated, wireless pressure mapping insoles, all athletes performed a standardized series of athletic movements including walking, running and cutting. Tests were repeated with the patient’s standard corrective insole. Peak pressure, mean pressure, maximum force, and force-time integral (i.e., impulse) were recorded for each activity. Comparison between groups was performed using a paired Wilcoxon Sign Rank test.Results:Athletes with a history of Jones fracture showed a significantly increased peak pressure (183 ±23 kPA vs. 138±7 kPA), mean pressure (124±14 kPA vs. 95±4 kPA), and maximum force (15±1.2%BW vs. 12±1.2%BW) at the fifth metatarsal base during walking and running compared to uninjured matched controls (all P<0.05). Use of the corrective orthotic insole did not significantly reduce peak or mean pressure, maximum force, or impulse at the fifth metatarsal base during running or cutting.Conclusion:Athletes with a history of Jones fracture exert significantly increased peak and mean forces at the base of the fifth metatarsal during common athletic activities. Standard corrective orthoses do not appear to offload this region in all cases. These increased loads may contribute to the development of stress injury to the fifth metatarsal during repetitive loading, and ultimately fracture of the bone. Identifying patients at risk for Jones fracture using dynamic loading assessment may facilitate an injury prevention program. Further study of orthotic devices, training programs, shoe wear, and devices designed to offload the fifth metatarsal is necessary.

Retrospective analysis and modern tendencies of swimmers’ movement technique development at different stages of many years sports training

Based on retrospective analysis of scientific-methodical literature the article deals with the analysis of trends of swimmers movement technique development at different stages of many year sports training. The authors describe the movement technique in swimming with basic concepts of biomechanical and fluid mechanics. Kinematical characteristics including spatial-temporal, temporal and spatial parame-ters of the athletes movements are investigated. This article considers the dynamics of change of such indicators of technical readiness as rhythm and the stroke rate at different stages of swimmers sport training. Based on data analysis of specialized literature the authors concluded that on the initial stages of sports training swimmers results increase due to the change in the length of step and at the stage of higher sports skill by changing of stroke rate. The authors study the age dynamics of step length and tempo at the initial training, initial and advanced specialization formation which takes place in three stages: 1) mastering the technique of swimming at optimal amplitude; 2) gradual stretching, the elonga-tion step; 3) search for optimum correlation between stride length and tempo. On the basis of study of step length growth of young athletes aged 9 15 years, the authors conclude that rhythm-based tech-nology course in swimming is generated starting from the initial stage of long-term preparation.

Features of design of rational internal shape of athletics shoes for children-athletes 12-16 years old

Shoes of sportsmen of each kind of sport is, on the one hand, a special sports equipment, drafted to enhance athletic achievements, quality and efficiency of the training process and on the other hand it is a device, which should protect the lower limb of an athlete from adverse environment possible clashes, bumps etc. Compliance of sports shoes with foot and shin of the athlete largely determines the positive performance of sports challenges. There is enough information on methods of designing certain types of athletic shoes for different sports in the current technical literature. However there is not enough research relating to the impact of stress on the foot of an athlete in the course of sports biomechanical movements in the system «feet – footwear – support». Physiological characteristics of the influence of long-term athletics trainings on the body of the child-athlete are also studied not enough. Object of the research is a rational internal shape and design of children's sports athletic footwear of age group 12-16 years old. Existing size range of shoes in our market does not meet shape and size of children’s feet. Using for a long time such inappropriate shoes can influence the child's foot and even cause deformities. As a result of analytical review of features efficient internal shape of sports athletic shoes design generalization and analysis of existing systems of efficient internal shape design of sports athletic shoes have been made, calculated and empirical transition from shapes and sizes of a foot to shapes and sizes of lasts has been analyzed, biomechanical prerequisites for building a sustainable footwear have been defined and contact and non-contact methods to obtain information about the characteristics of movement of athletes have been analyzed. However, to design a rational internal shape of athletic shoes for children athletes with improved functional and performance characteristics it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the load on the moving system, examine the speed of the contact, geometry of the foot in contact and the type of movements for each athletic-round, which requires further additional research.

Physical Activities-Legal Horizon and Sports Regulation as Lex Specialis: Lex Sportiva

The physical movement and the athletic movement and, furthermore, the whole of the physical activity, are distinct from other activities due to the organization on the basis of which it is practiced, to the way it is conducted and implemented and to the objectives which it involves. The legal entities in general and the ones of the sports sector in particular have been constituted so as to cover specific social needs, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable regulations and the ones of the Constitution. In Physical Education and Sport there are many interesting legal entities, some governed by Private Law and some by Public Law. This athletic action and particularly the sports contest can be achieved only within a specific framework of rules governing the contest and of rules of law, so as for all the above mentioned issues to be regulated. The physical and the athletic activity, as sports’ manifestations, regulated by legal rules, constitute a specific cognitive field for both the sports science and the legal one. Sports rules are established in order to cover public and private interest in sport in the context of national and international sport activity. Sports rules, as the rules of the game, prevail over ordinary rules of law since they have been specially enacted for specific sports activities. The rules of ordinary law apply in sports for many issues. They may apply directly due to the lack of special sports rules or indirectly by absorption with analogous adaptation and implementation where appropriate.

Effects of perturbation or plyometric training on core control and knee joint loading in women during lateral movements.

Deficits in trunk control are argued to increase the risk of knee injuries. However, no existing training program effectively addresses trunk control during lateral movements, such as cutting maneuvers. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a combination of perturbation and plyometric training (PPT) would reduce trunk excursions against the new movement direction and reduce knee joint moments during lateral movements. Twenty-four active women participated in a RCT, where trunk and pelvis kinematics and knee joint moments were measured during lateral reactive jumps (LRJ) and unanticipated cutting maneuvers before and after a 4-week PPT program and compared to a control group. During LRJ, trunk rotation away from the new movement direction was reduced (P<0.001), while pelvis rotation toward the new direction was increased (P=0.006) after PPT. Moreover, decreased knee extension moments (P=0.028) and knee internal rotation moments (P<0.001) were reported after both trainings. Additionally, PPT reduced trunk rotation by 7.2° during unanticipated cuttings. A 4-week PPT improved core control by reducing trunk rotation and reduced knee joint moments during LRJ. During training, perturbations should be introduced to improve core control during dynamic athletic movements, possibly reducing the risk of ACL injuries.

Optimization of the Design of a Discus for People with Disabilities

In a method for simultaneously optimizing both the throwing technique and the equipment was applied to the design of a discus for people (athletes) with disabilities (Paralympians). As the movement of athletes with disabilities is limited when compared with Olympians, the optimum size of the discus for those athletes should be different from that for an Olympian. The objective of this study is to determine the optimum size of the discus for athletes with disabilities. It was found that the optimum discus for a F54 thrower, who is an athlete competing in a wheelchair, has smaller width and greater thickness when compared with commercially available discuses for women.

Farred on Athletic Movement and Rest

Farred on Athletic Movement and Rest