COORDINATION IN TRACK & FIELD SPRINTERS WHILE PERFORMING THE COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess coordination, coordination variability and their evolution with time, during the countermovement jump. For this purpose a population of track & field sprinters was analysed through a Dynamic Systems approach. Five testing sessions over the year were considered. The kinematics of lower limbs was recorded by an optoelectronic system, and the continuous relative phase of the hip-knee and knee-ankle joints was considered. Results showed different behaviours for the two couplings across the functional phases of the movement, with an increased variability and a less in-phase relationship during transitions between phases. No relevant changes were reported over the subsequent testing sessions.