Kinematic determinants of early acceleration in field sport athletes

Murphy, AJ; Lockie, RG; Coutts, AJ

Kinematic determinants of early acceleration in field sport athletes

Murphy, AJ Lockie, RG Coutts, AJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 2003, 2 (4), pp. 144 - 150
Issue Date:: 2003-12-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Murphy, AJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lockie, RG	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Coutts, AJ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1782-7691	en_US
dc.date.available	2003-10-10	en_US
dc.date.issued	2003-12-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 2003, 2 (4), pp. 144 - 150	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1303-2968	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/5907
dc.description.abstract	Acceleration performance is important for field sport athletes that require a high level of repeat sprint ability. Although acceleration is widely trained for, there is little evidence outlining which kinematic factors delineate between good and poor acceleration. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinematic differences between individuals with fast and slow acceleration. Twenty field sport athletes were tested for sprint ability over the first three steps of a 15m sprint. Subjects were filmed at high speed to determine a range of lower body kinematic measures. For data analysis, subjects were then divided into relatively fast (n = 10) and slow (n = 10) groups based on their horizontal velocity. Groups were then compared across kinematic measures, including stride length and frequency, to determine whether they accounted for observed differences in sprint velocity. The results showed the fast group had significantly lower (∼11-13%) left and right foot contact times (p < .05), and an increased stride frequency (∼9%), as compared to the slow group. Knee extension was also significantly different between groups (p < .05). There was no difference found in stride length. It was concluded that those subjects who are relatively fast in early acceleration achieve this through reduced ground contact times resulting in an improved stride frequency. Training for improved acceleration should be directed towards using coaching instructions and drills that specifically train such movement adaptations. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2003).	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Sports Science and Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Sport Sciences	en_US
dc.title	Kinematic determinants of early acceleration in field sport athletes	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.for	110602 Exercise Physiology	en_US
utslib.for	110601 Biomechanics	en_US
utslib.for	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	0913 Mechanical Engineering	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Sports and Exercise Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHT - Health Technologies
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	4	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	2	en_US

Abstract:

Acceleration performance is important for field sport athletes that require a high level of repeat sprint ability. Although acceleration is widely trained for, there is little evidence outlining which kinematic factors delineate between good and poor acceleration. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinematic differences between individuals with fast and slow acceleration. Twenty field sport athletes were tested for sprint ability over the first three steps of a 15m sprint. Subjects were filmed at high speed to determine a range of lower body kinematic measures. For data analysis, subjects were then divided into relatively fast (n = 10) and slow (n = 10) groups based on their horizontal velocity. Groups were then compared across kinematic measures, including stride length and frequency, to determine whether they accounted for observed differences in sprint velocity. The results showed the fast group had significantly lower (∼11-13%) left and right foot contact times (p < .05), and an increased stride frequency (∼9%), as compared to the slow group. Knee extension was also significantly different between groups (p < .05). There was no difference found in stride length. It was concluded that those subjects who are relatively fast in early acceleration achieve this through reduced ground contact times resulting in an improved stride frequency. Training for improved acceleration should be directed towards using coaching instructions and drills that specifically train such movement adaptations. ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2003).

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/5907