Aim: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of different figure skating boots on kinetic and kinematic properties of the landing impact. The focus was on the vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and kinematic differences between the examined boots duringthe landing impact as well as the material and construction design differences between the boots. The hypothesis was that different figure skating boots (Graf Edmonton and Edea Concerto) differently affect the VGRF and kinematics during the landing impact so some figure skating boots may reduce the impact at landing and could therefore possibly prevent injuries. Method: Six subjects each simulated figure skating landings wearing two different types ofskates from two different heights, on artificial ice. Differences were investigated between the boots in angular position of individual body segments and in the VGRF that acts between the skate and a force platform underneath a plastic ice surface, as well as the force which acts between the skate and the foot. The landings were examined with a Pedar-X in-shoe pressure measuring system, a Kistler force plate and a Qualysis motion capture system. The obtained values of each variable were statistically compared between the boots using SPSS. Results: Statistically significant (p≤0.05) differences between the boots were seen in the degree of right ankle and knee joint flexion during the initial landing impact, in the degree of right ankle joint peak flexion, as well as in the force magnitude experienced by the right foot during the landing impacts as well as for the area under the max force-time curve. Furthermore, differences were seen in the construction design, materials, sizes of the outsole and in the stiffness. Conclusions: This research suggests there are differences in lower extremity VGRF and kinematic effects of landing impact when using different boots. It also suggests that some figure skating boots reduce the loading on the human body during the landing impacts more than others and therefore could help in preventing injuries.

No description available.

Falls and hip fractures are a major public health problem among the elderly. In addition to bone strength, sideways falls and direct hip impact are important determinants for hip fracture. However, few falls actually cause serious injury in both young and older adults. Therefore, understanding how individuals facilitate a safe landing during a fall will help guide appropriate exercise-based training programs. The primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effects of secondary tasks on movement strategies during a sideways fall. <br /><br /> To address this aim, I used a tether and electromagnet to suddenly release subjects from a sideways leaning position, causing them to fall onto a gymnasium mat. I instructed subjects to "fall and protect yourself, as if you were landing on a hard surface". I acquired trials in four conditions, presented in a pseudo-random order: falling while holding a box, falling while holding an empty mug, falling while reciting spoken text, and falling with no secondary task. In most trials, regardless of condition, impact occurred to the lateral aspect of the pelvis (no secondary task = 87%, box = 82%, cognitive = 90%, mug = 79%). While the frequency of impact to both hands decreased when carrying an object (box=67%, mug=50% compared to cognitive=90% and no secondary task=85%), 40% of trials in the mug condition involved one hand contacting the ground, indicating hand impact was still common. It appears when protective movements such as impact to the knees and hands did occur, they were not used to avoid direct hip impact. Instead, they were used to help break the fall, and to avoid head impact, which was not seen in this experiment. The results from this study indicate that secondary tasks have minimal effects on fall responses and that the rare occurrence of hip fractures in the young is due to some combination of bone strength and effective use of body segments to break the fall. <br /><br /> In a second study, I examined how a cognitive task affected the ability of young women to rotate forward (FR) or backward (BR) during a sideways fall. Subjects were released from a sideways leaning position and were provided with a visual cue upon tether release instructing them on the desired direction of rotation. The site of impact on the pelvis (as reflected by the hip proximity angle) was closer to the lateral aspect of the hip in cognitive trials than in control trials (43 ± 18º versus 51 ± 19º in FR and 59 ± 18º versus 68 ± 18º in BR) (p=0. 0006). This was due to a longer delay in the initiation of rotation in cognitive trials (293 ± 60 ms versus 232 ± 71 ms in FR and 278 ± 87 ms versus 239 ± 60 ms), as opposed to a change in mean angular velocity. Pelvis impact velocity was similar in the two conditions (2. 6 ± 0. 3 m/s compared to 2. 7 ± 0. 3 m/s in FR trials and 2. 8 ± 0. 2 m/s compared to 2. 9 ± 0. 2 m/s in BR trials) (p=0. 0514). The results from this study indicate that involvement in a secondary task can impair safe landing responses. Secondary attentional tasks cause a delay in the initiation of fall protective responses, which alters landing configuration. However, the motor programme that governs falling, remaining consistent across condition is robust to changes in task execution at the onset of the fall.

Att vi ser minst en sportreferent vid varje match eller i andra idrottssammanhang är  idag en självklarhet. Det finns kända och mindre kända referenter. Men hur har de mest etablerade referenterna tagit sin plats och blivit dem som vi så kallat känner till? För vissa räcker det att höra rösten och man vet direkt vem det är, andra har börjat synas mer och mer under sändningarna. Till en början handlade det mest om att rösten var talande. För det var ju faktiskt i radio som allting började. Men när TV började sända sport så började den också ta över radiosportens lilla era. Det här är en studie hur sportreferenter   etablerat sig ända sedan AB radiotjänst för första gången 1925 började ge ut sändningar som innehöll idrottsarrangemang till dagens TV-sportreferenter. Läsaren kommer att få en inblick hur det är att jobba som referent samt vilka krav som ställs. Men framförallt finns det en historisk berättelse hur TV-sporten tagit över radiosporten allt mer och mer. De slutsatser vi kunde dra var att det finns nästan ingen som är anställd utan utbildning när det kommer till att arbeta som sportjournalist i radio eller TV. Då bland annat både SVT och Sveriges Radio har som krav att även praktikanter måste vara under en journalistisk utbildning. Du kan inte längre säga vad du tycker och vill som sportjournalist, framförallt inte i TV. I radio är det inte lika noga. De första sändningarna handlade mer om att tala om för tittaren hur allting såg ut, idag är det annorlunda och man skapar känslor för publiken för att hålla dem underhållna.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the similarities and differences of retirement experiences of professional versus high performance amateur athletes determined by participation statistics in Canada. Results were obtained through qualitative interviews with 5 retired professional hockey players, and 4 retired high performance amateur rugby players who retired from sport within the last 15 years. Interview questions were based on Wylleman and Lavallee’s theoretical model of transitions faced by athletes at athletic, individual, psychosocial, and academic/vocational levels. The research concluded that there are many similarities experienced by professional hockey and high performance amateur rugby athletes regarding their sport retirement. However, there are also some considerable differences experienced by these athletes. Additional research may lead to awareness of coping resources and supports available to athletes experiencing retirement from various sports to help improve preparation and the quality of retirement experiences.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the similarities and differences of retirement experiences of professional versus high performance amateur athletes determined by participation statistics in Canada. Results were obtained through qualitative interviews with 5 retired professional hockey players, and 4 retired high performance amateur rugby players who retired from sport within the last 15 years. Interview questions were based on Wylleman and Lavallee’s theoretical model of transitions faced by athletes at athletic, individual, psychosocial, and academic/vocational levels. The research concluded that there are many similarities experienced by professional hockey and high performance amateur rugby athletes regarding their sport retirement. However, there are also some considerable differences experienced by these athletes. Additional research may lead to awareness of coping resources and supports available to athletes experiencing retirement from various sports to help improve preparation and the quality of retirement experiences.

Thesis (doctoral)--Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Bonn, 1930.

Thesis (doctoral)--Albert-Ludwigs-Universität zu Freiburg i. Br. / Description based on print version record.

Proefschrift Maastricht. / Auteursnaam op omslag: Fred Brouns. Met lit. opg. en samenvatting in het Nederlands.

This thesis analysed the modern trends in soccer performance, with specific reference to the physical and technical performance of matches played in the English Premier League (EPL) between 2006-07 and 2012-13. Following previous literature, the thesis analysed whether performance could be predicted through performance stability calculations. This section of the research highlighted the highly variable nature of the sport and suggested the minimum number of matches required for an accurate assessment of performance, particularly for low frequency variables (number of tackles performed, number of times tackled, shots) was less than effective. An alternative method to calculate performance benchmarks, the thesis looked into the coefficients of variation associated between matches, expanding previous assessments on physical performance and expanding this knowledge into technical variables. To follow on from this initial study, the thesis introduced findings on the interaction of physical and technical parameters to ascertain whether correlations existed between physical and technical match performance and whether formulae could be generated to aid predicting future performance. The conclusion from these studies suggests predicting performance through previously suggested means and using physical data to estimate technical performance are unsupported. Instead a possible solution would be to use coefficients of variation to calculate benchmarks around a typical performance. As a result this would provide coaches and support staff set boundaries that players should achieve during games. In addition these boundaries should inform and aid the development of training regimes providing players with the baseline required. The final studies in this thesis charted the evolution of physical and technical iii performance parameters and the potential causes for any changes found, using the evidence from the earlier studies to ascertain whether evolution had occurred beyond the level of variability or whether changes in performance could be attributed entirely to variability. These studies found large increases in both physical and technical performance parameters across all outfield positions; nevertheless the causes of these changes in performance are unclear. One hypothesis was that the number of non-UK players now performing in the EPL have driven changes in match performance and resulted in greater technical quality. These results indicated trivial to small differences between UK and non-UK players in 2006-07, although by 2012-13 these small differences had all but disappeared. Thus suggesting the different numbers between UK and non-UK players could have influenced the changes in performance although there appears to be other factors driving the evolution. The results from this thesis can be used in the physical and technical preparation of players, providing them with the baselines required to compete at the level required. In addition this information is valuable for both medical staff at clubs as well as for the recruitment of future players, providing both with concurrent information on modern match performances. The results also provide suggestions for future research proving researchers need to be cautious when analysing data across a number of seasons. Following on from this series of studies, future research could analyse the most effective means for providing this information to coaches and other staff at professional clubs in order to maximise the application.