Subscribe to RSS
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-122739
Vertical Impulse as a Determinant of Combination of Step Length and Frequency During Sprinting
Publication History
accepted after revision 01 November 2017
Publication Date:
07 February 2018 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/sportsmed/201804/lookinside/thumbnails/6417_10-1055-s-0043-122739-1.jpg)
Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the influence of vertical impulse on the magnitude of step length (SL) and frequency (SF) and their ratio during the entire acceleration phase of maximal sprinting. Thirty-nine male soccer players performed 60-m sprints, during which step-to-step ground reaction forces were recorded over a 50-m distance. The mean values of spatiotemporal variables and vertical and anteroposterior impulses for each set of four steps during the acceleration phase until the 28th step were computed to examine relationships among variables in seven sections. When controlling for the influence of running speed, stature and corresponding duration of braking or propulsion, vertical impulses during the propulsive phase at the 1st–4th step section and those during the braking phases in the sections from the 5th–8th to the 25th–28th step were positively correlated with SL and SL/SF ratio and negatively correlated with SF, whereas the anteroposterior impulses were not correlated with SL or SF. In conclusion, the current results demonstrate that vertical impulse during the propulsive phase in the initial acceleration stage and that during the braking phase in the middle and later acceleration stages are the most likely determinants of the combination of SL and SF during sprinting.
-
References
- 1 Bezodis IN, Kerwin DG, Salo AI. Lower-limb mechanics during the support phase of maximum-velocity sprint running. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2008; 40: 707-715
- 2 Brughelli M, Cronin J, Chaouachi A. Effects of running velocity on running kinetics and kinematics. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 933-939
- 3 Clark KP, Weyand PG. Are running speeds maximized with simple-spring stance mechanics?. J Appl Physiol 2014; 117: 604-615
- 4 Cohen J. ed. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. 2nd ed. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 1988
- 5 Debaere S, Delecluse C, Aerenhouts D, Hagman F, Jonkers I. Control of propulsion and body lift during the first two stances of sprint running: A simulation study. J Sports Sci 2015; 33: 2016-2024
- 6 Debaere S, Jonkers I, Delecluse C. The contribution of step characteristics to sprint running performance in high-level male and female athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27: 116-124
- 7 Girard O, Brocherie F, Morin JB, Degache F, Millet GP. Comparison of four sections for analyzing running mechanics alterations during repeated treadmill sprints. J Appl Biomech 2015; 31: 389-395
- 8 Harriss DJ, Macsween A, Atkinson G. Standards for Ethics in Sport and Exercise Science Research: 2018 Update. Int J Sports Med 2017; 38: 1126-1131
- 9 Hoffmann K. Stature, leg length, and stride frequency. Track Technique 1971; 46: 1463-1469
- 10 Hoffmann K. Stride length and frequency of female sprinters. Track Technique 1972; 48: 1522-1524
- 11 Hunter JP, Marshall RN, McNair PJ. Interaction of step length and step rate during sprint running. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36: 261-271
- 12 Hunter JP, Marshall RN, McNair PJ. Segment-interaction analysis of the stance limb in sprint running. J Biomech 2004; 37: 1439-1446
- 13 Hunter JP, Marshall RN, McNair PJ. Relationships between ground reaction force impulse and kinematics of sprint-running acceleration. J Appl Biomech 2005; 21: 31-43
- 14 Johnson M, Buckley J. Muscle power patterns in the mid-acceleration phase of sprinting. J Sports Sci 2001; 19: 263-272
- 15 Lieber R. ed. Skeletal muscle structure and function: Implications for rehabilitation and sports medicine. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1992
- 16 Nagahara R, Matsubayashi T, Matsuo A, Zushi K. Kinematics of transition during human accelerated sprinting. Biol Open 2014; 3: 689-699
- 17 Nagahara R, Mizutani M, Matsuo A, Kanehisa H, Fukunaga T. Association of step width with accelerated sprinting performance and ground reaction force. Int J Sports Med 2017; 38: 534-540
- 18 Nagahara R, Mizutani M, Matsuo A, Kanehisa H, Fukunaga T. Association of sprint performance with ground reaction forces during acceleration and maximal speed phases in a single sprint. J Appl Biomech 2017; epub ahead of print DOI: 10.1123/jab.2016-0356.
- 19 Nagahara R, Naito H, Morin JB, Zushi K. Association of acceleration with spatiotemporal variables in maximal sprinting. Int J Sports Med 2014; 35: 755-761
- 20 Nagahara R, Zushi K. Development of maximal speed sprinting performance with changes in vertical, leg and joint stiffness. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2017; 57: 1572-1578
- 21 Rabita G, Dorel S, Slawinski J, Saez-de-Villarreal E, Couturier A, Samozino P, Morin JB. Sprint mechanics in world-class athletes: a new insight into the limits of human locomotion. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2015; 25: 583-594
- 22 Salo AI, Bezodis IN, Batterham AM, Kerwin DG. Elite sprinting: are athletes individually step-frequency or step-length reliant?. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; 43: 1055-1062
- 23 Schache AG, Blanch PD, Dorn TW, Brown NA, Rosemond D, Pandy MG. Effect of running speed on lower limb joint kinetics. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; 43: 1260-1271