Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance

Background: In recent years, there has been a proliferation of technology and sport science utilized within an athlete's training, especially at the elite level. However, the sport science is a broad field, encompassing disciplines such as biomechanics, motor control and learning, exercise phys...

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Main Authors: James Becker, Will F.W. Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2015-12-01
Series:Journal of Sport and Health Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254615000903
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author James Becker
Will F.W. Wu
author_facet James Becker
Will F.W. Wu
author_sort James Becker
collection DOAJ
description Background: In recent years, there has been a proliferation of technology and sport science utilized within an athlete's training, especially at the elite level. However, the sport science is a broad field, encompassing disciplines such as biomechanics, motor control and learning, exercise physiology, sports medicine, sport psychology to name a few. Rarely are these disciplines applied in an integrated manner. The purpose of this study was to document the effectiveness of an integrated biomechanics and motor control protocol for improving athlete's performance in the high jump. Methods: Four elite high jumpers performed baseline jumps under normal conditions and then jumps using a specific external focus of attention cue designed to improve their running posture. Three-dimensional biomechanical analysis was used to quantify the upright posture throughout the approach as well as horizontal velocity at plant and vertical velocity at takeoff. Results: The results showed that when using the external focus of attention cue, the jumpers were significantly more upright during the approach, had significantly higher horizontal velocities at plant, and generated significantly greater vertical velocities during the takeoff. Conclusion: The results of this study lay the foundation for future work examining how integrating sport science disciplines can improve performance of elite level athletes.
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spelling doaj.art-1b2449bb39444c7a9e987d78cda002bb2022-12-22T03:52:34ZengElsevierJournal of Sport and Health Science2095-25462015-12-014434134610.1016/j.jshs.2015.09.004Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performanceJames BeckerWill F.W. WuBackground: In recent years, there has been a proliferation of technology and sport science utilized within an athlete's training, especially at the elite level. However, the sport science is a broad field, encompassing disciplines such as biomechanics, motor control and learning, exercise physiology, sports medicine, sport psychology to name a few. Rarely are these disciplines applied in an integrated manner. The purpose of this study was to document the effectiveness of an integrated biomechanics and motor control protocol for improving athlete's performance in the high jump. Methods: Four elite high jumpers performed baseline jumps under normal conditions and then jumps using a specific external focus of attention cue designed to improve their running posture. Three-dimensional biomechanical analysis was used to quantify the upright posture throughout the approach as well as horizontal velocity at plant and vertical velocity at takeoff. Results: The results showed that when using the external focus of attention cue, the jumpers were significantly more upright during the approach, had significantly higher horizontal velocities at plant, and generated significantly greater vertical velocities during the takeoff. Conclusion: The results of this study lay the foundation for future work examining how integrating sport science disciplines can improve performance of elite level athletes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254615000903BiomechanicsHigh jumpMotor controlSport performance
spellingShingle James Becker
Will F.W. Wu
Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
Journal of Sport and Health Science
Biomechanics
High jump
Motor control
Sport performance
title Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
title_full Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
title_fullStr Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
title_full_unstemmed Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
title_short Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
title_sort integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers a transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance
topic Biomechanics
High jump
Motor control
Sport performance
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254615000903
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AT willfwwu integratingbiomechanicalandmotorcontrolprinciplesinelitehighjumpersatransdisciplinaryapproachtoenhancingsportperformance