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STRENGTH PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN A SIMULATED MEN'S GYMNASTICS
STILL RINGS CROSS
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Jennifer
K. Dunlavy1, William A. Sands1
, Jeni R. McNeal2, Michael H. Stone3, Sarah L. Smith1, Monem Jemni4 and G. Gregory Haff5 |
1Sport Science, U.S Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, 2Department
PEHR, Eastern Washington Uni-versity, Cheney, WA, USA, 3Dept PEXS East
Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA, 4Anglia Ruskin University,
Department of Life Sciences, Cambridge, UK, 5Division of Exercise Physiology,
Department of Human Performance and Applied Exercise Science, Morgantown,
WV, USA
| Received |
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10 November 2006 |
| Accepted |
|
22
December 2006 |
| Published |
|
01
March 2007 |
©
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2007) 6, 93 - 97
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| ABSTRACT |
| Athletes in sports such as the gymnastics who perform the still
rings cross position are disadvantaged due to a lack of objective
and convenient measurement methods. The gymnastics "cross"
is a held isometric strength position considered fundamental to all
still rings athletes. The purpose of this investigation was to determine
if two small force platforms (FPs) placed on supports to simulate
a cross position could demonstrate the fidelity necessary to differentiate
between athletes who could perform a cross from those who could not.
Ten gymnasts (5 USA Gymnastics, Senior National Team, and 5 Age Group
Level Gymnasts) agreed to participate. The five Senior National Team
athletes were grouped as cross Performers; the Age Group Gymnasts
could not successfully perform the cross position and were grouped
as cross Non- Performers. The two small FPs were first tested for
reliability and validity and were then used to obtain a force-time
record of a simulated cross position. The simulated cross test consisted
of standing between two small force platforms placed on top of large
solid gymnastics spotting blocks. The gymnasts attempted to perform
a cross position by placing their hands at the center of the FPs and
pressing downward with sufficient force that they could remove the
support of their feet from the floor. Force-time curves (100 Hz) were
obtained and analyzed for the sum of peak and mean arm ground reaction
forces. The summed arm forces, mean and peak, were compared to body
weight to determine how close the gymnasts came to achieving forces
equal to body weight and thus the ability to perform the cross. The
mean and peak summed arm forces were able to statistically differentiate
between athletes who could perform the cross from those who could
not (p < 0.05). The force-time curves and small FPs showed sufficient
fidelity to differentiate between Performer and Non- Performer groups.
This experiment showed that small and inexpensive force platforms
may serve as useful adjuncts to athlete performance measurement such
as the gymnastics still rings cross.
KEY
WORDS: Portable force platform, field test.
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