Variability within the lower limb extremities of national level long jump

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the spatial temporal characteristics of the lower limb extremities with the long jump skill to determine the effect variability of coordination movement has on performance outcome. Based on the measure of joint coordination during locomotion, variation has been suggested to provide more flexibility during the execution phase. The more variable an athlete is thought to be, the better adapted they are to cope with a slight change in external environment. This paper will discuss the use of variability measures, specifically joint coordination patterns, expressing joint angles and velocity obtained, focusing on the lower limb. The variability of long jump performances between individuals was determined by comparing eight maximal long jump performances of three male subjects. The take-off for each jump was performed on a Kistler force platform. Ground reaction forces and joint movement patterns for all individuals at the instance of touch down and take-off were measured in order to obtain vertical velocity and angle of take-off. CODA motion analysis was used to define joint angles, angle of projection and angular momentum. The results suggested that there was a level of intra-individual variability present throughout the touch-down to take-off phase, however, manifests itself in different forms across subjects. Peak ground reaction force in the vertical direction was seen to be the most statistically significant between the touch-down and take-off phase. This study highlights that increased variability at take-off has a positive effect on performance outcomes.