Effect of Ankle Joint Contact Angle and Ground Contact Time on Depth Jump Performance

The main aim of this paper was to examine the association between prematch well-being status with match internal and external load in field (FR) and assistant (AR) soccer referees. Twenty-three FR and 46 AR participated in this study. The well-being state was assessed using the Hooper Scale and the match external and internal loads were monitored with Stryd Power Meter and heart monitors. While no significant differences were found in Hooper indices between match officials, FR registered higher external loads (p < 0.01; ES: 0.75 to 5.78), spent more time in zone 4 and zone 5, and recorded a greater training impulse (TRIMP) value (p < 0.01; ES: 1.35 to 1.62) than AR. Generally, no associations were found between the well-being variables and external loads for FR and AR. Additionally, no associations were found between the Hooper indices and internal loads for FR and AR. However, several relationships with different magnitudes were found between internal and external match loads, for FR, between power and speed with time spent in zone 2 (p < 0.05; r = −0.43), ground contact time with zone 2 and zone 3 (p < 0.05; r = 0.50 to 0.60) and power, speed, cadence and ground contact time correlated with time spent in zone 5 and TRIMP (p < 0.05 to 0.01; r = 0.42 to 0.64). Additionally, for AR, a relationship between speed and time in zone 1 was found (p < 0.05; r = −0.30; CL = 0.22). These results suggest that initial well-being state is not related to match officials’ performances during match play. In addition, the Stryd Power Meter can be a useful device to calculate the external load on soccer match officials.

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Single-Leg Jump Performance Before and After Exercise in Healthy and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Individuals

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.2019-0159 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (7) ◽

pp. 879-885

Author(s):

Haley Bookbinder ◽

Lindsay V. Slater ◽

Austin Simpson ◽

Jay Hertel ◽

Joseph M. Hart

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Contact Time ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Ground Contact ◽

Jump Height ◽

Before And After ◽

Healthy Control ◽

Ground Contact Time ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Context: Many clinicians measure lower-extremity symmetry after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR); however, testing is completed in a rested state rather than postexercise. Testing postexercise may better model conditions under which injury occurs. Objective: To compare changes in single-leg performance in healthy and individuals with history of ACLR before and after exercise. Design: Repeated-measures case-control. Setting: Laboratory. Patients: Fifty-two subjects (25 control and 27 ACLR). Intervention: Thirty minutes of exercise. Main Outcome Measures: Limb symmetry and involved limb performance (nondominant for healthy) for single-leg hop, ground contact time, and jump height during the 4-jump test. Cohen d effect sizes were calculated for all differences identified using a repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: Healthy controls hopped farther than ACLR before (d = 0.65; confidence interval [CI], 0.09 to 1.20) and after exercise (d = 0.60; CI, 0.04 to 1.15). Those with ACLR had longer ground contact time on the reconstructed limb compared with the uninvolved limb after exercise (d = 0.53; CI, −0.02 to 1.09), and the reconstructed limb had greater ground contact time compared with the healthy control limb after exercise (d = 0.38; CI, −0.21 to 0.73). ACLR were less symmetrical than healthy before (d = 0.38; CI, 0.17 to 0.93) and after exercise (d = 0.84; CI, 0.28 to 1.41), and the reconstructed limb demonstrated decreased jump height compared with the healthy control limbs before (d = 0.75; CI, 0.19 to 1.31) and after exercise (d = 0.79; CI, 0.23 to 1.36). Conclusions: ACLR became more symmetric, which may be from adaptations of the reconstructed limb after exercise. Changes in performance and symmetry may provide additional information regarding adaptations to exercise after reconstruction.

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Sacral acceleration can predict whole-body kinetics and stride kinematics across running speeds

10.31236/osf.io/9vhwd ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ryan Alcantara ◽

Evan Day ◽

Michael Hahn ◽

Alena Grabowski

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Contact Time ◽

Injury Risk ◽

Stress Fractures ◽

Whole Body ◽

Accelerometer Data ◽

Ground Contact ◽

Wearable Sensor ◽

Ground Contact Time ◽

Injury Risk Factors

Background. Stress fractures are injuries caused by repetitive loading during activities such as running. The application of advanced analytical methods such as machine learning to data from multiple wearable sensors has allowed for predictions of biomechanical variables associated with running-related injuries like stress fractures. However, it is unclear if data from a single wearable sensor can accurately estimate variables that characterize external loading during running such as peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), vertical impulse, and ground contact time. Predicting these biomechanical variables with a single wearable sensor could allow researchers, clinicians, and coaches to longitudinally monitor biomechanical running-related injury risk factors without expensive force-measuring equipment.Purpose. We quantified the accuracy of applying quantile regression forest (QRF) and linear regression (LR) models to sacral-mounted accelerometer data to predict peak vGRF, vertical impulse, and ground contact time across a range of running speeds.Methods. Thirty-seven collegiate cross country runners (24 females, 13 males) ran on a force-measuring treadmill at 3.8 – 5.4 m/s while wearing an accelerometer clipped posteriorly to the waistband of their running shorts. We cross-validated QRF and LR models by training them on acceleration data, running speed, step frequency, and body mass as predictor variables. Trained models were then used to predict peak vGRF, vertical impulse, and contact time. We compared predicted values to those calculated from a force-measuring treadmill on a subset of data (n = 9) withheld during model training. We quantified prediction accuracy by calculating the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE).Results. The QRF model predicted peak vGRF with a RMSE of 0.150 body weights (BW) and MAPE ± SD of 4.27 ± 2.85%, predicted vertical impulse with a RMSE of 0.004 BW*s and MAPE of 0.80 ± 0.91%, and predicted contact time with a RMSE of 0.011 s and MAPE of 4.68 ± 3.00%. The LR model predicted peak vGRF with a RMSE of 0.139 BW and MAPE of 4.04 ± 2.57%, predicted vertical impulse with a RMSE of 0.002 BW*s and MAPE of 0.50 ± 0.42%, and predicted contact time with a RMSE of 0.008 s and MAPE of 3.50 ± 2.27%. There were no statistically significant differences between QRF and LR model prediction MAPE for peak vGRF (p = 0.549) or vertical impulse (p = 0.073), but the LR model’s MAPE for contact time was significantly lower than the QRF model’s MAPE (p = 0.0497).Conclusions. Our findings indicate that the QRF and LR models can accurately predict peak vGRF, vertical impulse, and contact time (MAPE < 5%) from a single sacral-mounted accelerometer across a range of running speeds. These findings may be beneficial for researchers, clinicians, or coaches seeking to monitor running-related injury risk factors without force-measuring equipment.

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The Correlation between Reactive Strength Index and Ground Contact Time during Countermovement Jump and Specific Physical Fitness Variables in High School Soccers

The Korea Journal of Sport ◽

10.46669/kss.2021.19.1.097 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 1101-1111

Author(s):

Hee Jeong Son ◽

◽

Yeon Sung Jung

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Contact Time ◽

Ground Contact ◽

Strength Index ◽

Countermovement Jump ◽

Ground Contact Time

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Shorter Ground Contact Time and Better Running Economy

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research ◽

10.1519/jsc.0000000000002669 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽

Author(s):

Martin Mooses ◽

Diresibachew W. Haile ◽

Robert Ojiambo ◽

Meshack Sang ◽

Kerli Mooses ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Contact Time ◽

Running Economy ◽

Ground Contact ◽

Ground Contact Time

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Hopping frequency in humans: a test of how springs set stride frequency in bouncing gaits

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1991.71.6.2127 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 71 (6) ◽

pp. 2127-2132 ◽

Cited By ~ 234

Author(s):

C. T. Farley ◽

R. Blickhan ◽

J. Saito ◽

C. R. Taylor

Keyword(s):

Elastic Energy ◽

Contact Time ◽

The Body ◽

Force Platform ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Ground Contact ◽

Muscular Force ◽

Mass System ◽

Ground Contact Time ◽

The Cost

The storage and recovery of elastic energy in muscle-tendon springs is important in running, hopping, trotting, and galloping. We hypothesized that animals select the stride frequency at which they behave most like simple spring-mass systems. If higher or lower frequencies are used, they will not behave like simple spring-mass systems, and the storage and recovery of elastic energy will be reduced. We tested the hypothesis by having humans hop forward on a treadmill over a range of speeds and hop in place over a range of frequencies. The body was modeled as a simple spring-mass system, and the properties of the spring were measured by use of a force platform. Our subjects used nearly the same frequency (the “preferred frequency,” 2.2 hops/s) when they hopped forward on a treadmill and when they hopped in place. At this frequency, the body behaved like a simple spring-mass system. Contrary to our predictions, it also behaved like a simple spring-mass system when the subjects hopped at higher frequencies, up to the maximum they could achieve. However, at the higher frequencies, the time available to apply force to the ground (the ground contact time) was shorter, perhaps resulting in a higher cost of generating muscular force. At frequencies below the preferred frequency, as predicted by the hypothesis, the body did not behave in a springlike manner, and it appeared likely that the storage and recovery of elastic energy was reduced. The combination of springlike behavior and a long ground contact time at the preferred frequency should minimize the cost of generating muscular force.

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NFL Draft Prep Players Improve 40-Yard Run Times and Foot-Ground Kinetics

Research Directs in Strength and Performance ◽

10.53520/rdsp2021.1056 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Monique Mokha ◽

Tobin Silver ◽

Pete Bommarito

Keyword(s):

Contact Time ◽

National Football League ◽

Reaction Force ◽

American Football ◽

Football Players ◽

Ground Contact ◽

Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽

Linear Speed ◽

Vertical Ground ◽

Ground Contact Time

Introduction: Linear speed is a discriminant factor between drafted and undrafted American football players into the National Football League. Linear speed is influenced by foot-ground contact time and the magnitude of vertical ground reaction force. The aim of this study was to determine if foot-ground kinetics during speed running could be modified through participating in a 6-week NFL draft preparation camp. Methods: To evaluate foot-ground kinetics, 16 American football players ran on an instrumented treadmill for 5 seconds at 6.5 m/s. Linear speed was measured during a 40-yard (36.6 m) outdoor run. Pre- and post-camp linear speed times, stance-averaged vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF, kg/N), foot-ground contact time (msec), and vertical impulse (kg/N * s) were examined using paired t-tests, p<.05. Results: Linear speed times significantly improved [(pre, 4.8±0.2 vs. post, 4.6±0.2 sec), t(15)=13.8, p<.001)], and foot-ground contact time significantly decreased for the right limb [(pre, 177+3.2 vs. post, 168+2.2 ms), t(15)=2.21, p=.043]. Mean vertical impulse and stance-averaged GRF for both limbs remained unchanged, p>.05. Conclusions: Linear speed and selected foot-ground kinetics are modifiable in NFL draft prep players. Training appears to lower 40-yard run times and foot-ground contact time.

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Bouncing on Mars and the Moon—the role of gravity on neuromuscular control: correlation of muscle activity and rate of force development

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00692.2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 121 (5) ◽

pp. 1187-1195 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ramona Ritzmann ◽

Kathrin Freyler ◽

Anne Krause ◽

Albert Gollhofer

Keyword(s):

Contact Time ◽

Neural Control ◽

Neuromuscular Control ◽

Rate Of Force Development ◽

Ground Contact ◽

The Moon ◽

Force Output ◽

Force Development ◽

Ground Contact Time ◽

Stretch Shortening Cycle

On our astronomical neighbors Mars and the Moon, bouncing movements are the preferred locomotor techniques. During bouncing, the stretch-shortening cycle describes the muscular activation pattern. This study aimed to identify gravity-dependent changes in kinematic and neuromuscular characteristics in the stretch-shortening cycle. Hence, neuromuscular control of limb muscles as well as correlations between the muscles’ pre-activation, reflex components, and force output were assessed in lunar, Martian, and Earth gravity. During parabolic flights, peak force (Fmax), ground-contact-time, rate of force development (RFD), height, and impulse were measured. Electromyographic (EMG) activities in the m. soleus (SOL) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were assessed before (PRE) and during bounces for the reflex phases short-, medium-, and long-latency response (SLR, MLR, LLR). With gradually decreasing gravitation, Fmax, RFD, and impulse were reduced, whereas ground-contact time and height increased. Concomitantly, EMG_GM decreased for PRE, SLR, MLR, and LLR, and in EMG_SOL in SLR, MLR, and LLR. For SLR and MLR, Fmax and RFD were positively correlated to EMG_SOL. For PRE and LLR, RFD and Fmax were positively correlated to EMG_GM. Findings emphasize that biomechanically relevant kinematic adaptations in response to gravity variation were accompanied by muscle- and phase-specific modulations in neural control. Gravitational variation is anticipated and compensated for by gravity-adjusted muscle activities. Importantly, the pre-activation and reflex phases were differently affected: in SLR and MLR, SOL is assumed to contribute to the decline in force output with a decreasing load, and, complementary in PRE and LLR, GM seems to be of major importance for force generation.

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