Estimation of reaction forces in high bar swinging

Abstract

Knowledge of external forces in elite sport can substantially assist in understanding musculoskeletal demands on performers. Directly measuring forces during events is rare; modifying the official equipment to accommodate instrumentation is normally not allowed. In this paper an indirect method to estimate bar forces during gymnastic competitions was developed and evaluated. Criterion data from strain gauges confirmed that laboratory controlled, and field based, calibration methods could be used to predict high bar forces from remote video measurements of bar displacements. This paper presented a method to extend inverse dynamics analyses into a competition environment.