Three-Dimensional Kinematics during the Take-Off Phase in Competitive Long Jumping

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to identify the relationships among selected kinematic variables that affect the take-off phase and performance in elite jumpers. The jump distance was found to be related to: I) the athlete's approach speed before the instant of touch down; and ii) the exchange in spatial velocity components at take-off, which results in a gain in maximum vertical velocity of the centre of mass (CM), favoured by the use of an optimum touch-down angle of the take-off leg, an active landing of the foot at touch-down, and a motion of the take-off leg during the compression phase that helps to manage the loss of horizontal velocity. Nonetheless, the results show that an adequate velocity transformation requires an adaptive technical model to help jumpers to build an efficient individual technical pattern.

Long jumpers with and without a transtibial amputation have different three-dimensional centre of mass and joint take-off step kinematics

“…Furthermore, non-amputee athletes from the present study did not reach peak hip flexion prior to 25 ± 1.7% of the stance phase, and then reached maximum extension of the hip at TO with values similar to those in [19,20] but about 12° greater compared to those in [15]. This discontinuous sagittal plane hip motion contrasts with previous studies that reported continuous hip extension throughout ground contact [19,20]. These differences between studies, especially during the early stance phase of the take-off step, might be due to a shorter average jump distance in our study or due to lower sampling rates (100 or 125 Hz) [15,19,20] and lower cut-off frequencies (8 or 8.3 Hz) [15,19] used in previous studies.…”

“…The vertical COM movement of the non-amputee athletes from the current study is in agreement with the results of Lees et al . [15], but vertical COM increase during the take-off step was about 7–8 cm lower than reported in other studies [19,20]. Based on the conflicting ideas mentioned above and a previous discussion by Hay et al .…”

“…Furthermore, it is important to understand the adaptations and constraints that are potentially induced by using RSPs. Numerous studies have determined the two-dimensional kinematics [13–16] and the three-dimensional kinematics [17–20] of non-amputee athletes during the long jump take-off step. To our knowledge, no previous studies have determined the three-dimensional kinematics of long jumpers with BKA who use RSPs and compete on a recent performance level.…”

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“…Only a weak correlation between this measurement and ED was exhibited in Group B, along with a very weak correlation in Group A (Table 2) (the differences between correlation coefficients in Groups B and A were non-significant, p = 0.211). At the same time, Campos et al (2013) found medium significant relationships between ED and relative center of mass height at takeoff (r = 0.577; p < 0.001) in the group of eight male finalists of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Valencia 2008.…”

“…A non-significant relationship between approach velocity and effective distance (r = 0.496, P > 0.05) was observed, for example, by Graham-Smith and Lees (2005) among the participants of AAA Championships in the UK (ED from 7.17 to 7.84 m). Graham-Smith and Lees (2005) (as well as Campos et al (2013)) also found only a weak correlation between ED and horizontal (r = 0.215, P > 0.05 (Graham-Smith & Lees, 2005) and r = -0.231, p < 0.189 (Campos, et al, 2013) and vertical (r = 0.279, P > 0.05 (Graham-Smith & Lees, 2005) and r = 0.454, p < 0.01 (Campos, et al, 2013)) takeoff velocities, and no correlation between ED and center of mass height at takeoff (which are important in the long jump according to the model of Hay et al (1986)). Graham-Smith and Lees (2005) explained this by the variability in relation to the range for each variable.…”