Performance Measures Of Speed Research Articles

Effect of core training on speed, quickness and agility in young male football players.

Core training effectively improves sport performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of core training on the performance measures of speed, agility and quickness of U19 male football players. A total of 24 young male football players were divided into 12 in the experimental group (aged 18.17±0.72) and 12 in the control group (aged 18.31±0.75). The experimental group performed 30-35 min core training three days a week for eight weeks while the control group continued their routine training. Measurements included a 40-meter sprint test for speed, a hexagon test for quickness and an agility-T test for agility. Pre-test measurements at the start of the study and post-test measurements after eight weeks were compared by an ANOVA 2×2. A significant level of P<0.05 was established. In the experimental group, there were an improvement in quickness (pre: 17.27±3.24"; post: 16.79±3.09"; P=0.005, η2=0.53) and agility (pre: 12.86±1.17"; post: 12.38±1.12"; P=0.003, η2=0.56), but the speed did not change (pre: 6.14±0.57"; post: 6.00±0.45", P=0.653). The use of core training in combination with normal football training is shown to be effective in improving quickness and agility but not speed among young male football players after a period of eight weeks. So, it appears reasonable to include specific core training programs within football training.

Effect of Reactive Agility Training Drills on Speed and Agility in Indonesian University Students

The purpose of this research was to determine the potential training effect of reactive agility in improving speed and agility. This study was conducted on 36 students and divided into 3 groups with 12 students per groups. Group 1 was given lateral mirror drill, Group 2 sprint mirror drill, and Group 3 conventional training for a period of 8 weeks, 3 times/week with a day off. Performance measures of agility and speed were assessed via the T-test for agility and 30m sprints for speed, respectively. Data was analyzed using paired sample t-test and multivariate analysis of variance. The result of this study found that there was a significant effect of sprint mirror drill to improve speed and agility; there was a significant effect of lateral mirror drill in improving speed and agility; there was a difference effect of lateral mirror drill and sprint mirror drills in improving speed and agility. Conclusion: these data provide preliminary support of incorporating reactive agility drills such as the sprint mirror and lateral mirror drills in improving performance measures of speed and agility.

A Human Factors-Based Assessment Framework for Evaluating Performance in Control Room Interface Design

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Evaluating the effects of control room interface design on operator performance is crucial to maintaining productivity and safety. Current regulations in the petrochemical industry encourage the inclusion of human factors principles in designing displays and the environment but provide little guidance on evaluation. The framework presented in this article can be used to evaluate petrochemical control room interface designs under a variety of conditions, including workload and experience levels. Applications of this framework include the evaluation of novel interface designs to determine which alternatives result in the highest performance and reasonable perceived workload levels. This framework could also be used to evaluate the effects of other performance-shaping factors, such as fatigue.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: The petrochemical industry has a need to improve the design of control room interfaces, but regulations on how to evaluate designs are sparse. Purpose: This study describes the development and initial evaluation of a human factors-based framework for evaluating performance using control room interfaces under varying user experience levels, display designs, and workload levels. The framework considers three steps of human behavior in systems: sensing/perception, information processing, and physical/verbal responses. Direct performance measures of speed and accuracy and measures of perceived workload (NASA task load index and subjective workload assessment technique) assess these three steps, and situation awareness (situation awareness global assessment technique) assesses sensing/perception and information processing. Methods: To provide initial validation of the framework, students and professional operators (two experience levels) used current standard interface designs and poor interface designs at three workload levels. The participants completed three 30-minute scenarios and responded to various alarms that signaled failures during each scenario, which were created using a commercially available refinery simulator. Results: In general, the framework was sensitive to differences in interface design, workload level, and experience. Future research can determine sensitivity to other control room parameters and may include additional metrics, such as secondary task workload measures and eye tracking, depending on the goals of the evaluation. Conclusion: This research demonstrates the feasibility of applying human factors tools to performance evaluation of commercially available petrochemical control room interface designs.

Anthropometric and Physical Characteristics of Tunisians Young Soccer Players

The aim of this investigation was to provide anthropometric, physical and physiological performance characteristics of Tunisian young soccer players and to examine the relationship between selected parameters according to their playing standard position. One hundred under 13 years old (U-13) male soccer players were tested. They were classified according to their playing standard positions (goalkeeper: GK, defender: DF, midfield: MF, and forward: FW). Testing consisted of anthropometric measurements including weight, height, and body mass index, and performance measures of speed (5, 15, and 20 m), agility run (Agility-15 m and Ball-15 m), vertical jumping, ball shooting, and aerobic capacity (Hoff Dribble Test and Yo-Yo intermittent Endurance Run, YYIER). GK were taller and heavier than other players. Significant differences of playing positions for the majority of the physical tests include 20 m sprint, Agility-15 m and Ball-15 m times (all p p p p p p < .01). Multiple regression analyses showed that weight and height were the most significant predictors of 20 m sprint time and the YYIER distance, respectively. In conclusion, performance abilities between positions in young soccer players appear to be different. Anthropometry can discriminate physical capacities and soccer skills providing a scientific rational behind the coaches’ practice of selecting young soccer players.

Anthropometric, physiological and performance characteristics of elite team-handball players

The objective of this study was to provide anthropometric, physiological, and performance characteristics of an elite international handball team. Twenty-one elite handball players were tested and categorized according to their playing positions (goalkeepers, backs, pivots, and wings). Testing consisted of anthropometric and physiological measures of height, body mass, percentage body fat and endurance ([Vdot]O2max), performance measures of speed (5, 10, and 30 m), strength (bench press and squat), unilateral and bilateral horizontal jumping ability, and a 5-jump horizontal test. Significant differences were found between player positions for some anthropometric characteristics (height and percentage body fat) but not for the physiological or performance characteristics. Strong correlations were noted between single leg horizontal jumping distances with 5-, 10-, and 30-m sprint times (r = 0.51–0.80; P < 0.01). The best predictors of sprint times were single leg horizontal jumping with the dominant leg and the distance measured for the 5-jump test, which when combined accounted for 72% of the common variance associated with sprint ability. In conclusion, performance abilities between positions in elite team-handball players appear to be very similar. Single leg horizontal jumping distance could be a specific standardized test for predicting sprinting ability in elite handball players.

An evaluation of a lane support system for bus rapid transit on narrow shoulders and the relation to bus driver mental workload

The use of dedicated bus shoulders is a key method for implementing bus rapid transit (BRT) in areas that do not have the space for additional infrastructure. However, the narrow width of the bus shoulder and the need to anticipate traffic hazards in the adjacent lane can both be significant stressors for bus drivers. Bus driver mental workload and stress in response to these conditions should be a significant concern both for operational safety and driver health. This pilot study evaluated the potential stressors of traffic density and shoulder width in the context of an express BRT service in a large US metropolitan area. In addition, the study considered the potential role of a prototype lane support system (LSS) to support vehicle control within the narrow shoulder boundaries. Ten experienced bus drivers drove an actual route with an instrumented bus equipped with and without LSS. Self-reported effort was recorded along with performance measures of speed and position control relevant to mobility and safety objectives. Bus drivers did note stressors in the BRT environment and the prototype LSS. However, the use of the shoulder during high-density traffic conditions did improve mobility. Moreover, the LSS did enhance safety on the shoulder when there was high-density traffic in the adjacent lane. However, there was no evidence that the LSS reduced bus driver workload while operating in the narrow shoulder. Future research should consider the impact of BRT operations and support systems on bus driver mental workload and stress, and support the deployment of such devices for bus operations on shoulders during high traffic volumes.

Lead time and response time in a pull production control system

In the late 80s, most manufacturers have shifted their manufacturing strategies from cost and quality to speed. This paper focuses on two performance measures of speed: manufacturing lead time and response time. Manufacturing lead time is the sum of the processing time to convert raw material to finished goods and the waiting time at the buffers. Response time is the time between the customer places an order and the customer receives the order. In this paper we develop a queueing model of a pull-based production control system for a single-stage facility. The intent of the model is two-fold. First, we highlight the trade-off between manufacturing lead time and response time. Second, we develop an optimization model to determine an optimal control system that guarantees certain delivery performance (in terms of response time).