CORRELATION BETWEEN KINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MAXIMAL VELOCITY SPRINTING STRIDE OF FEMALE SPRINTERS

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to ascertain which kinematic and dynamic variables of the sprinting stride most affect maximal sprinting velocity. Seven female sprinters of the Slovene national team twice executed the test 20 m with a flying start, whereby we measured twelve dynamic parameters of their sprinting stride in their maximal velocity zone using a tensiometric platform installed in a Tartan track. To register fourteen kinematic parameters we used a 3D kinematic system (APAS - Ariel Performancer Analysis System). The filming frame frequency was 50 Hz. A fifteen-segment model, defined by seventeen reference points, was used in the analysis. A statistical analysis was made with the SPSS statistical package. The statistical significance (P<0.05) of the correlation between maximal velocity and the individual dynamic and kinematic parameters was assessed by Pearson correlation coefficients. The following parameters have the highest correlation with maximal sprinting velocity: horizontal velocity of the body center of gravity (CG) in the phase of placement of the push-off leg (braking phase) r = 0.60, velocity of CG in the propulsion phase r = 0.73, duration of contact r = -0.61, duration of the braking phase r = - 0.67, acceleration in the push-off action propulsion phase r = 0.56 and the angle of push-off r = -0.60. Dynamic parameters of the sprinting stride, such as maximal force in the X and Y axes, force impulse in the braking phase and force impulse in the propulsion phase do not have statistically significant correlations with maximal velocity. On the basis of these results it can be shown that the maximal velocity of female sprinters depends mainly on the kinematic parameters and much less on the parameters of the forces in the push-off action of the sprinting stride.