A New Measurement System for Performance Analysis in Flatwater Sprint Kayaking

Abstract

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.

Application of Instrumented Paddles in Measuring On-Water Kinetics of Front and Back Paddlers in K2 Sprint Kayaking Crews of Various Ability Levels

“…This FBG-based instrumented paddle successfully measured handgrip force and blade loading distribution on competitive and recreational kayakers in a 50-m swimming pool [7]. Recently, a e-Kayak system with multichannel digital acquisition system was tailor-made for flatwater sprint kayaking to simultaneously measure forces acting on the paddle and footrest as well as kinematics of the paddler and the boat [8,9].…”

“…Tay and Kong [12,13] used video analysis to quantify the timing offsets between the front and back paddlers in eight K2 crews during high intensity paddling. Bonaiuto et al [8] proposed a possible digital acquisition system to monitor K2 stroke performance of two paddlers but only data of a single female athlete were reported. To the best of authors' knowledge, there is currently no large-scale investigation into the kinetic profiles of K2 crew members in sprint kayaking.…”

One-Dimensional Mathematical Model for Kayak Propulsion

“…The hydrodynamic aspects of the propulsion have been investigated extensively; the hydrodynamic drag or its components was analyzed both computationally and experimentally [1][2][3][4][5][6], even under uniform displacement conditions. The paddle [7] or stroke [8] hydrodynamics were also analyzed; correlations between the stroke frequency and hull speed [9][10][11], the stroke force versus time functional relation [9,12] or the hull-stroke interaction [13,14] were found. There are also studies on the forces applied to the paddle blade and the power, accelerations and velocities that it produce in the hulls [9,12,15,16].…”

“…The paddle [7] or stroke [8] hydrodynamics were also analyzed; correlations between the stroke frequency and hull speed [9][10][11], the stroke force versus time functional relation [9,12] or the hull-stroke interaction [13,14] were found. There are also studies on the forces applied to the paddle blade and the power, accelerations and velocities that it produce in the hulls [9,12,15,16]. Additionally there are kinematics kayak models: the one of six degree of freedom proposed by Leroyer [17] or the one introduced by Begon [18] to calibrate a kayak ergometer in the most precise way.…”

Biomechanical Adaptations in Kayakers of Different Competitive Levels and the Relationship with the Kayak Elements

“…The involvement of the upper limbs predominates in kayaking, although all the propulsive energy must be transferred to the boat through the lower limbs in order to move it through the water [3]. Thus, the main technical difficulty consists in transforming trunk rotation strength in the vertical axis of the paddler into a pushing or propelling force on the sagittal plane through the rapid and powerful extension of the knee on the stroke side, thereby transmitting the force to the boat through the footrest of the kayak [4,5]. Furthermore, an increase in the time spent in the attack phase of the paddling cycle, for applying force for a longer period of time in the water and, as a consequence, to increase performance, is followed by trunk rotation and flexion [1].…”