Nowadays, in modern elite sport, the identification of the best training strategies which are useful in obtaining improvements during competitions requires an accurate measure of the physiologic and biomechanical parameters that affect performance. The goal of this pilot study was to investigate the capabilities of the e-Kayak system, a multichannel digital acquisition system specifically tailored for flatwater sprint kayaking application. e-Kayak allows the synchronous measure of all the parameters involved in kayak propulsion, both dynamic (including forces acting on the paddle and footrest) and kinematic (including stroke frequency, displacement, velocity, acceleration, roll, yaw, and pitch of the boat). After a detailed description of the system, we investigate its capability in supporting coaches to evaluate the performance of elite athletes’ trough-specific measurements. This approach allows for a better understanding of the paddler’s motion and the relevant effects on kayak behavior. The system allows the coach to carry out a wide study of kayak propulsion highlighting, and, at the same time, the occurrences of specific technical flaws in the paddling technique. In order to evaluate the correctness of the measurement results acquired in this pilot study, these results were compared with others which are available in the literature and which were obtained from subjects with similar characteristics.

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The full comprehension of the impact with which each force is involved in kayak propulsion is very difficult. The measure of the force on the paddle or the stroke rate only is often not enough for the coach to identify the best actions useful to improve the performances of a kayaker. To this purpose, the synchronous measurement of all parameters involved in the kayak propulsion, both dynamic (force acting on paddle and foot brace) and kinematic (stroke frequency, displacement, velocity, acceleration, roll, yaw, and pitch of the boat) could suggest to the coach more appropriate strategies for better understanding of the paddler’s motion and the relevant effects on the kayak behavior. Some simulation models, as well as measurement systems of increasing complexity, have been proposed in the recent years. In this paper, we present the e-Kayak system: A multichannel Digital Acquisition (DAQ) system specifically customized for flatwater kayaking. The system will be described in depth and its capability investigated through specific measurement results.

The mechanism of propulsion in swimming has been widely researched in recent years, but not completely clarified. While it is obvious that the movement of arms provides most of the thrust, it is unclear how each phase of the stroke translates into body acceleration. Investigation is carried out mainly by video analysis or using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) which do not measure forces. In this paper, we present a wearable data acquisition system for swimmers. The system is composed of two instrumented paddles, measuring the pressure difference between palm and back of the hands, and an IMU. The paddles provide information about the forces that cause propulsion, while the IMU measures the effects of these forces. Data are acquired by a microcontroller unit placed in waterproof case at the athlete's waist, and transferred to PC via a Bluetooth link. Early experimental data are presented.

The use of a network of wearable sensors placed on the athlete or installed into sport equipment is able to offer, in a real sport environment rather than in the unspecific spaces of a laboratory, a valuable real-time feedback to the coach during practice. This is made possible today by the coordinate use of a wide range of kinematic, dynamic, and physiological sensors. Using sensors makes training more effective, improves performance assessment, and can help in preventing injuries. In this paper, a new wireless sensor network (WSN) system for elite sport applications is presented. The network is made up of a master node and up to eight peripheral nodes (slave nodes), each one containing one or more sensors. The number of nodes can be increased with second level slave nodes; the nature of sensors varies depending on the application. Communication between nodes is made via a high performance 2.4 GHz transceiver; the network has a real-life range in excess of 100 m. The system can therefore be used in applications where the distance between nodes is long, for instance, in such sports as kayaking, sailing, and rowing. Communication with user and data download are made via a Wi-Fi link. The user communication interface is a webpage and is therefore completely platform (computer, tablet, smartphone) and operating system (Windows, iOS, Android, etc.) independent. A subset of acquired data can be visualized in real time on multiple terminals, for instance, by athlete and coach. Data from kayaking, karting, and swimming applications are presented.