Sports Sciences Commons^™

Adding A Weight To Constrain The Trunk Increases Knee Joint Kinetics During Sidestep Cutting In Female Athletes, Daniel Kadlec, J. Jordan, Jacqueline Alderson, Sophia Nimphius

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sidestep cutting exposes the knee to high multiplanar loads that both challenge tissue capacity and provide an opportunity to develop resilience through progressive exposure. This study investigated task constraints applied at the trunk and preparatory step and changes in lower-body joint kinetics associated with ACL injury risk during sidestepping in female athletes. Twenty-one trained female athletes performed six sidestep conditions: pre-planned and unplanned sidesteps, each with and without trunk (holding ~ 5–7.5% body mass at chest level) and preparatory-step (ducking under an adjustable rope at eye height) constraints. Relative joint power at the hip, knee, and ankle was analysed using …

Investigating The Effectiveness And Benefits Of A 3d Printed Ladder For Rat Resistance Training Compared To A Previously Published Model, Raghav D. Sharma

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

PURPOSE: To document and assess the training of rats using a new design and 3D printed ladder. The results were compared to the same rats climbing a ladder which is similar to ladders used in the majority of previous research. The rungs of the previous ladder were in the shape of a cylinder whereas the new model had rectangular flat steps. Rats were expected to exhibit different biomechanics while climbing the two different ladder models. In the new model we expected rats to use plant and push climbing (PPC) where rats put their entire foot on the step and push …

Anticipation Effects On Landing Error Scoring System Performance: Highlighting The Influence Of Athletic Status And Sex, Heather E. Hinton, Melanie D. Hernandez, Warren O. Forbes

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Removing the element of anticipation has previously shown to lead to worse performance on the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) field test. It is unknown if sex or athletic status contributes to this phenomenon. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of sex and athletic status on LESS performance with and without the element of anticipation. METHODS: Twenty-six participants performed five anticipated and five unanticipated trials of the LESS. For the anticipated LESS trials, participants were given specific instructions to perform a drop jump task, similar to the standard LESS assessment. Unanticipated LESS trials consisted of …

Equilibrium Or Silence, Why Understanding The Balance Is Crucial, Kayla E. Hori, Jacob Hinkel-Lipsker, Marek R. Kwasek, Sarkis Sarkisyan, Kenneth M. Mazariegos

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

PURPOSE: People who are Deaf and hard of hearing have an “invisible” disability because they can do everything except hear. The inner ear has two primary functions: sound and balance. The purpose of a cochlear implant is to restore and simulate the loss of sounds sensed by the auditory nerve. METHODS: A total of 20 subjects, including 10 Deaf with both-sided users, 10 Deaf with one-sided users, 10 Deaf without CIs, and 10 normal-hearing subjects performed bilateral (BLS) and single-leg stance tests (SLS) with open eyes (OE) and closed eyes (CE), on the ground or foam pads, and the Y-Balance …

Relationship Between Lower Body Performance Testing Metrics And Pelvis Energy Flow In Collegiate Baseball Hitting, Adrian Ramirez, Arnel Aguinaldo

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The baseball swing is a complex sequence of coordinated movements in which pelvis energy flow plays a central role in driving swing efficiency and performance. However, the relationship between lower-body performance testing metrics and mechanical energy flow during the swing is not well understood. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between lower-body performance metrics and energy flow during baseball hitting. METHODS: Eleven collegiate hitters (age: 20.7 ± 1.4 years) first underwent a battery of performance tests, including the countermovement jump (CMJ), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), hip abduction and adduction isometric strength, and passive …

Anthropometric Normalization Applies To Elbow Varus Torque, But Not Ulnar Collateral Ligament Properties In Collegiate Pitchers, Dylan Bakhshi, Adam J. Barrack

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Elbow varus torque (EVT) is used as a surrogate measure for ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury risk in baseball pitching. EVT is often normalized to pitcher anthropometrics to account for body size, but it is unclear if these are appropriate. If UCL structure is not related to body size, normalizing EVT to body size may compromise its relevance to injury risk. This study examined whether body size is associated with EVT or UCL structure to determine if body size is an appropriate ratio normalization for both EVT and underlying UCL structure in collegiate baseball players.

METHODS: 38 …

Evaluating Takeoff Mechanics Between Dancers And Non-Dancers During Bilateral Jumps, Danielle Serrano, Nixom Alfaro, Ricardo Pineda, Stephana Powell, John Reed, Ricardo Tolentino, Danielle Jarvis

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Many athletes in sports that consist of movements with sharp turns, such as women's basketball and soccer, experience a high amount of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in proportion to dancers, who experience low rates of ACL injuries. There has been minimal research on how jump takeoff mechanics differ between dancers and other active individuals. Some previous work has indicated that dancers use greater motion and forces at the ankle joint compared to non-dancers in jumping movements. PURPOSE: To determine the kinetic and kinematic differences between non-dancers and dancers during bilateral squat jump takeoffs. METHODS: Nineteen healthy female …

Landing Mechanic Differences Between Dancers And Non-Dancers During Vertical Jumps, John Reed, Jenelle Idian, Jasmin De La Cruz, Andrea Rodriguez, Aysha W. Cunningham, Ricardo Tolentino, Danielle Jarvis

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Dancers endure training that results in an increased range of motion and flexibility. Such training can impact risk of injury and produce overall differences in movement. Despite these potential impacts, there is minimal research comparing landing mechanics between dancers and non-dancers. PURPOSE: To explore kinetic and kinematic differences between dancers and non-dancers when landing from a vertical jump. It was hypothesized that dancers would demonstrate greater peak ankle dorsiflexion and ankle net joint moments during landing compared to non-dancers. METHODS: A sample of ten dancers and nine non-dancers, all healthy females, were equipped with reflective markers and performed …

Influence Of Virtual Reality Cognitive Fidelity On Biomechanical Adaptation And Motor Strategies With A Custom Prosthesis And Foot Controller., Marek R. Kwasek

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

In an age of digitization, rehabilitation is embracing newer technologies, particularly VR, to enhance motor development and learning skills with real-world applications. With its practical replicability, VR’s visual (i.e., how visually realistic a virtual environment is) and cognitive fidelity (i.e., how well a virtual environment mimics the cognitive demands of real-world tasks) has the potential to influence motor strategies and, ultimately, a person’s functional biomechanics when learning a new skill. PURPOSE: To examine how different levels of visual and cognitive fidelity impact users’ reaching biomechanics when controlling a prosthetic arm using a foot controller. METHODS: Participants completed 12 …

Functional Data Analysis Of Vertical Barbell Acceleration During The Pull Of The Power Clean, Tsuyoshi Nagatani, Shayne Vial, Kristina L. Kendall, Paul Comfort, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vertical barbell acceleration patterns and power clean performance. Thirty strength-power athletes performed a one repetition maximum (1RM) power clean test, recording vertical barbell acceleration data from their heaviest successful lifts. This data was then analysed using functional principal component (fPC) analysis methods. Three vertical barbell acceleration patterns were extracted, with each primarily reflecting variations in the magnitude of vertical barbell acceleration during the second pull (fPC1), the transition (fPC2), and the first pull (fPC3). Additionally, two fPCs were extracted from displacement fields, which explain timing variations in barbell acceleration …

Mechanisms Influencing Maximum Joint Range Of Motion And Stiffness: A Narrative Review, Camila D. Lima, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Joint ‘flexibility’ is an encompassing term influenced by both a joint’s maximum range of motion (ROMmax) and its resistance to rotation, i.e. its stiffness. A critical amount of flexibility is thought to be important for both sports performance and daily and occupational tasks. Improvements in joint ROMmax, specifically, are often assumed to result from material and mechanical changes in the joint’s soft tissue structures; however, they also may result from changes in sensory information relayed from peripheral receptors to the brain, or the interpretation of that information. Changes in psychological state mediated by pain, state arousal and other psychological factors …

The Influence Of The Marker Set On Inverse Kinematics Results To Inform Markerless Motion Capture Annotations, Marion Mundt, David Pagnon, Steffi Colyer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Markerless motion capture has the potential to enable biomechanical analyses without specialised, high-cost equipment. However, the comparability of many markerless motion capture frameworks with the most used marker-based method is limited. One reason for this is the lack of high-quality, biomechanically-informed datasets that are needed to train markerless models. This study aimed to inform the development of such a dataset by systematically analysing the agreement between a gold-standard marker set and a reduced number of markers to solve inverse kinematics (IK). We analysed the impact of different marker positions on the IK solution using an OpenSim lower body model with …

Exploration Of Running In Minimal And Conventional Footwear On Tibial Stress Fracture Probability In Habitual And Non-Habitual Minimal Users, Jonathan K. Sinclair, Paul J. Taylor

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

This research sought to investigate the impact of minimal and conventional footwear on the likelihood of tibial stress fractures among individuals who habitually and do not habitually use minimal footwear. Ten males who habitually ran in minimal footwear and ten males who habitually ran in conventional footwear, took part in this investigation. Kinematic information during overground running were gathered using an eight-camera motion-capture system, and ground reaction forces were recorded using a force plate. Tibial strains were assessed through finite element modelling, while the likelihood of stress fractures was determined through probabilistic modelling across a 100-day running period. Medial tibial …

Relative Muscular Effort In The Older Adults During The Sit-To-Stand Task: Monitoring Neuromuscular Reserve And Movement Limitations, Nayun Ahn, Michael H. Haischer, Cara L. Lewis, Kristof Kipp

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Due to lower maximum strength, older adults purportedly need to exert greater muscular effort to stand up from a chair. This study investigated joint-specific muscular effort during a sit-to-stand by calculating relative-muscular-effort and investigating differences between healthy older and young adults.

Methods

Fifteen older (age: 69.9 ± 3.5 years) and 15 young (age: 22.2 ± 2.6 years) adults performed five self-paced sit-to-stand trials. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected and used to calculate inverse dynamics net joint moment. Peak isometric knee and hip extensor torques were measured and used as inputs to regression models that predicted angle- and velocity-dependent …

Effects Of Dance Footwear On Kinetics And Lower Limb Joint Kinematics During Jeté Jumps, Stephana Powell, Jenny Camacho, Gwendolyn R. Retzinger, Eloisa Hernandez, Danielle N. Jarvis Dr.

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Footwear used by dancers often offers little support to the lower extremities. There have been efforts to design footwear aimed at decreasing incidence of injury and increasing dance performance. The interaction between the floor and the foot is heavily influenced by the choice of footwear, yet there has been little research done on the effects footwear has on dance performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of footwear on ground reaction forces and lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during a jeté landing. METHODS: Three-dimensional analysis was performed using a 12-camera video motion analysis system (Motion …

Impact Of Surface Type On Single-Leg Jumping And Landing Mechanics Using Emg, Kinematics, And Ground Reaction Force, Anna Grexton, Katie Au, Stephanie Yeakle, Christiane O'Hara

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Previous studies have found that athletes who need to jump in their sport often have asymmetry in their landing, resulting in a higher load on one leg. This can cause acute and chronic injuries to the knee such as ACL injuries, ligament injuries, stress fractures, and arthritis. PURPOSE: This project aims to measure the ground reaction force (GRF) of repetitive jumping of a single-leg on difference surfaces, identify key muscles and activation patterns, and understand the biomechanical kinematics of the jump sequence. By analyzing these aspects of repetitive jumping, and investigating the correlations and mutual influence, the effects of single-leg …

Ankle Joint Utilization Differences Between Dancers And Non-Dancers During Jumping Movement, Ricardo Tolentino, Elizabeth Reyes, Danielle Serrano, Eloisa Hernandez, Jennifer Camacho, Danielle N. Jarvis

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common in sports, but dancers experience lower rates of ACL injuries compared to athletes in other team sports. While researchers have explored potential reasons for this occurrence, there has been limited research comparing bipedal jumping mechanics between dancers and other physically fit individuals. PURPOSE: To determine the kinematic and kinetic differences between dancers and non-dancers during sauté jumps and squat jumps. METHODS: Nineteen participants were involved in this study, with 10 dancers and 9 non-dancers, all of whom were equipped with reflective markers. A three-dimensional motion analysis was conducted using a …

The Effect Of Anticipation On Limb Symmetry During The Landing Error Scoring System Test, Marisol Valenzuela, Monica X. Cortes, Luis J. Valadez, Dominick J. Cece-Sherley, Warren O. Forbes

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) is a field test consisting of a 17-item checklist that identifies the presence of biomechanical risk factors during a drop jump task that have been prospectively linked to non-contact lower extremity injuries. The standard LESS does not address limb differences or any element of anticipation that is often seen in the athletic settings. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of anticipation on limb symmetry during the landing error scoring system test. METHODS: All jumping trials were performed off a 30 cm platform into a marked area on the ground. …

Investigating The Effect Of Fat Bar Attachments On Peak Velocity, Repetitions Until Failure, Energy Expenditure, And Respiratory Quotient In The Bench Pull Exercise, Robert R. Sawyer, Shane Draper, Anthony Ciccone, Tyler Standifird, Nicolas Clark

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

New methods of training in resistance exercise include the use of thick or “fat” bar attachments to promote forearm and grip strength. No study has investigated how these tools affect both acute biomechanical and physiological factors of barbell exercise. PURPOSE: Investigate the effect of using a thick barbell attachment (5.72 cm diameter) on peak velocity, repetitions until failure, total energy expenditure, and respiratory quotient during the bench pull exercise performed at 60% 1RM. METHODS: Six healthy resistance-trained college-aged men underwent three visits. First visit was used to calculate one-rep max (1RM) through force-velocity profiling. Second and third visits were randomized …

The Influence Of Anticipation On Landing Error Scoring System Performance, Luis J. Valadez, Dominick J. Cece-Sherley, Marisol Valenzuela, Monica X. Cortes, Warren O. Forbes

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The Landing Error Score System (LESS) is a field assessment tool that can help identify biomechanics during a drop jump task that predispose an athlete to an increased risk of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injury. While the LESS has shown to be valid and reliable, the pre-planned, anticipatory nature of the drop jump task during the LESS is not indicative of the movement strategies present in many sport settings. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of anticipation on landing error scoring system performance. METHODS: Twenty-two individuals participated in this study. Anticipated jumping trials consisted of …

Maximizing Legged Accelerations: A Matter Of Force, Time, And Gravity, Lance Brooks

Applied Physiology and Wellness Theses and Dissertations

Sprint running accelerations require runners to apply surface forces that: support body weight by pushing downward, accelerate the body horizontally by pushing backward, and align the direction of the push with the body’s mass center to maintain balance and posture, which imposes an upper limit on the average forward acceleration force equal to the average gravitational force (1.0 G) acting on the runner. This expectation arises from the mechanical constraints imposed by the need to generate sufficient vertical force to support body weight against gravity while simultaneously producing horizontal force to accelerate forward and aligning the push through the center …

The Hoof Inside Out: A Comprehensive Investigation About The Shoe Configuration Effects On The Behavior Of The Equine Hoof, Rita Aoun

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The equine hoof is a unique organ in biology that has intricate elastic properties. From simple protection to therapeutic and corrective measures, horseshoes are widely used in the equine industry. Various types of shoeing have been designed and used based on their unique targeted functions following hoof care. Shoes can modify the gait of the horse, affect the alignment of the distal joints, and alter stress and strains on specific hoof regions. The objective of this dissertation is to provide an overview of the available research on the existing methodology and literature on the effects of shoeing on equine gait …

Effects Of A 10-Week Footstrike Transition Programme On Tibial Stress Fracture Probability; A Randomized Controlled Intervention Using Finite Element And Probabilistic Modelling, Jonathan Sinclair, Paul J. Taylor

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: The aim of this study was to undertake a randomized control trial examining the effects of a 10-week footstrike transition program on tibial stress fracture risk compared to control. Material and methods: Twenty habitual rearfoot strike runners were randomly assigned to either footstrike or control groups. The footstrike group undertook a graduated 10-week program which allowed them to convert their habitual rearfoot strike pattern, whereas the control group maintained their normal training regime without any alterations to their strike pattern. Running biomechanics were collected using an eight-camera motion capture system, and ground reaction forces using a force plate. Tibial …

The Role Of Pennation Angle And Architectural Gearing To Rate Of Force Development In Dynamic And Isometric Muscle Contractions, Bas Van Hooren, Per Aagaard, Andrea Monte, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Associations between muscle architecture and rate of force development (RFD) have been largely studied during fixed-end (isometric) contractions. Fixed-end contractions may, however, limit muscle shape changes and thus alter the relationship between muscle architecture an RFD. Aim: We compared the correlation between muscle architecture and architectural gearing and knee extensor RFD when assessed during dynamic versus fixed-end contractions. Methods: Twenty-two recreationally active male runners performed dynamic knee extensions at constant acceleration (2000°s−2) and isometric contractions at a fixed knee joint angle (fixed-end contractions). Torque, RFD, vastus lateralis muscle thickness, and fascicle dynamics were compared during 0–75 and 75–150 ms …

Biomechanical Assessment Of Footwear And Foot Landing Types In Collegiate Female Runners At Preferred Running Speed, Shivaniba Gohil, Michael W. Olson

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Barefoot and shod running with conditions at heel landing and forefoot landing has implications on running biomechanics. PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of two footwear and two foot landing type conditions on lower limb and lumbar acceleration and kinematics. METHODS: Six collegiate female runners (20.6 ± 1.5 yrs, 58.6 ± 4.7 kg, 1.63 ± 0.05 m) performed running trials on a motorized treadmill. Their averaging running volume was 49.6 ± 31.5 km/wk (range: 16.1 – 80.5 km/wk). Inertial measuring units (IMUs) (370 Hz), containing triaxial accelerometers (1g = 9.81 m/s/s) and gyroscopes (deg/s), were secured on the foot/shoe …

Biomechanical Indicators Of Steeplechase Hurdle Success, Luke Vankeersbilck, Luke Johnston, Iain Hunter

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The steeplechase is a long-distance running event that requires competitors to jump over 28 hurdles and 7 water jumps over the course of the race. This frequent jumping means that hurdling technique is important and the ability to maintain speed over the barriers can help a runner succeed. PURPOSE: To determine which variables predict maintenance of speed while hurdling in the steeplechase. METHODS: Data were collected at the USATF outdoor championships and Olympic Trials from 2011 to 2023 for both men and women. A Sony video camera running at 120 Hz was used to evaluate several aspects of …

Reliability And Construct Validity Of The Single-Leg Landing Error Scoring System (Sl-Less) In Physically Active Females, Jennifer E. Earl-Boehm, Madison Mach, Erin Lally, Maegan O'Connor, Hayley Ericksen

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

PURPOSE Single-leg landings are common in sport and often result in injury, however a rubric to evaluate biomechanics during single-leg jump landing (SLL) does not exist. The Single-Leg Landing Error Scoring System (SL-LESS) is a rubric developed to evaluate movement during SLL. The purpose of this study was to 1) determine inter- and intra-rater reliability of the SL-LESS, 2) and determine the content and construct validity of the SL-LESS when evaluating SLL

METHOD 28 healthy females completed SLL on two days while 2D and 3D data were recorded. 3D angles were trunk flexion/lateral-flexion, pelvic tilt/contralateral drop, hip flexion/adduction, and knee …

Muscle-Specific Contributions To Vertical Ground Reaction Force Profiles During Countermovement Jumps: Case Studies In College Basketball Players, Kristof Kipp, Hoon Kim

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine muscle-specific contributions to various types of vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) profiles in collegiate basketball players. Players from a men's (n = 5; height: 1.84 ± 0.14 m; mass: 92.8 ± 11.4 kg) and a women's (n = 5; 1.71 ± 0.09 m; mass: 80.1 ± 17.6 kg) basketball team completed 3–5 countermovement jumps (CMJ) while motion capture and force plate data were recorded. Muscle-specific contributions to vGRF were calculated through vGRF decomposition analysis. Profiles of vGRF were analyzed based on the presence of unimodal or bimodal peaks during the …

Running To The Beat: Does Listening To Music Affect Running Cadence And Lower Extremity Biomechanics?, Carolyn Meinerz, Jessica M. Fritz, Janelle A. Cross, Cody C. Dziuk, Kristof Kipp, Carole Vetter

Exercise Science Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Gait retraining can be effective in altering lower extremity biomechanics and reducing risk of injury. In attempts to alter running gait, previous studies used metronomes to manipulate cadence.

Research question

The aim of this study was to determine if manipulating running cadence via music could alter lower extremity biomechanics.

Methods

Eighteen runners ran at a self-selected speed (SS) and ran to music where the beats per minute (bpm) of the songs was increased by 5% (+5%) and 10% (+10%). Kinematic and kinetic data were collected with a motion capture system and a triaxial accelerometer. A one-way repeated measures analysis …

Obstacle Crossing In Healthy Young And Older Individuals, Hope M. Hanson, Ashlyn M. Jendro, Abigail C. Schmitt

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: In the United States, the average population age is rising and will continue to increase in the coming years.With an older population comes increased risk of injury associated with falls. Falls are considered a leading cause of injury and death in older individuals, and many falls are caused by body imbalance or obstacle collision due to a clearly visible stationary object (e.g., rug, chair, branch). Older adults tend to cross obstacles with increased toe clearance in order to prevent tripping, but much of what is known about obstacle crossing in older adults is limited to artificial obstacles that are …