Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the propulsion asymmetries of wheelchair athletes while sprinting on an instrumented, dual-roller ergometer system. Eighteen experienced wheelchair rugby players (8 low point (LP) (class 1.5) and 10 high point (HP) (class 2.0)) performed a 15-second sprint in their sports wheelchair on the instrumented ergometer. Asymmetry was defined as the difference in distance and power output (PO) between left and right sides when the best side reached 28m. Propulsion techniques were quantified based on torque and velocity data. HP players covered an average 3m further than the LP players (P=.002) and achieved faster sprint times than LP players (6.95 +/- 0.89 vs 8.03 +/- 0.68seconds, P=.005) and at the time the best player finished (5.96seconds). Higher peak POs (667 +/- 108 vs 357 +/- 78W, P=.0001) and greater peak speeds that were also evident were for HP players (4.80 +/- 0.71 vs 4.09 +/- 0.45m/s, P=.011). Greater asymmetries were found in HP players for distance (1.86 +/- 1.43 vs 0.70 +/- 0.65m, P=.016), absolute peak PO (P=.049), and speed (0.35 +/- 0.25 vs 0.11 +/- 0.10m/s, P=.009). Although HP players had faster sprint times over 28m (achieved by a higher PO), high standard deviations show the heterogeneity within the two groups (eg, some LP players were better than HP players). Quantification of asymmetries is important not only for classifiers but also for sports practitioners wishing to improve performance as they could be addressed through training and/or wheelchair configuration.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 1586-1593 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 19-Jan-2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May-2018 |
Keywords
- asymmetry
- dual-roller system
- Paralympic sport
- tetraplegic
- wheelchair propulsion
- MANUAL WHEELCHAIR
- ACTIVITY PROFILES
- INERTIAL SENSOR
- COURT SPORTS
- CLASSIFICATION
- CONFIGURATION
- RELIABILITY
- TREADMILL
- PATTERNS
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Sprint performance and propulsion asymmetries on an ergometer in trained high- and low-point wheelchair rugby players'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Press/Media
-
Sportlab Sedoc met Jetze Plat
Vegter, R., Janssen, R. & Rietveld, T.
04/06/2021
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities › Popular