Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T17:06:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carolina Neis Machado.pdf: 2019539 bytes, checksum: 551e51b6d116d4ba06d2ac853f60e010 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Following exercise programs in vogue in recent years, one can observe the highlight of the Pilates method. Contrary to its popularity, there is a lack of quantitative information for prescription and progression of exercises of the method, which are important subsidies, particularly for rehabilitation. This study aims to characterize the strength of the lower limbs during the execution of an exercise often used in Pilates, the foot work. It is a quasi-experimental study, and a study of technological development. It was conducted in two phases: preliminary phase, corresponding to the construction of the instruments concerning to force measures (extensometric force plates), and application phase, in which occurred the data collection itself. The studied population consisted of 20 healthy adults, between 20 and 35 years old, familiar with the method. Data collection was carried out in a Pilates studio in the city of Florianópolis. For this purpose, the platforms developed for the study were secured to support the Reformer bar in order to enable the participant to perform the exercise without any changes in movement pattern. To collect data and force platforms we used the following instruments: digital scale, and stadiometer tape. Data was acquired and processed with the aid of ADS2002-IP and SAD32 systems. For the characterization of the vertical and horizontal components of force, descriptive statistics were used, identifying the mean and standard deviation. The analysis of the effect of different springs on the peak horizontal force component was performed using the paired Student T test, assuming a value of p <0.05, where a significant difference was found between the averages of peak of the horizontal component of the lower limbs reaction force in both collection situations. By verifying the effect of springs on the asymmetry of force in the right and left leg differences were only statistically significant against the resistance of blue springs. The practice time was an aspect that influenced the bilateral symmetry of the lower limbs. At the end of this work, other uses are visualized for the implementation of instrumented Reformer, as the evaluation of lateral asymmetries of the lower limbs, the diagnosis of bilateral deficit and its application in the context of hemiparetic. / Acompanhando programas de exercício em voga nos últimos anos, observa-se o destaque do método Pilates. Na contramão da sua popularidade, verifica-se falta de informações quantitativas para a prescrição e progressão dos exercícios do método, que são subsídios importantes, em especial, para a reabilitação. Este estudo tem por objetivo caracterizar a força de membros inferiores durante a execução de um exercício bastante utilizado no método Pilates, o foot work. Trata-se de um estudo quasi-experimental, bem como de um estudo de desenvolvimento tecnológico. Foi realizado em duas fases distintas: fase preliminar, correspondente à construção e adaptação dos instrumentos referentes às medidas dinamométricas (plataformas de força extensométricas), e fase de aplicação, em que se deu a coleta de dados propriamente dita. A população deste estudo foi composta por 20 adultos saudáveis, com idade entre 20 e 35 anos, familiarizados com o Pilates. A coleta de dados foi realizada nas dependências de um estúdio de Pilates, na cidade de Florianópolis. Para tal, as plataformas desenvolvidas para o estudo foram fixadas à barra de apoios do Reformer para possibilitar ao participante a execução do exercício sem que houvesse alterações no padrão de movimento. Para a coleta de dados, além das plataformas de força, foram utilizados um estadiômetro, uma balança antropométrica e uma fita métrica. Os dados foram adquiridos e processados com o auxílio dos sistemas ADS2002-IP e SAD32. Para a caracterização das componentes vertical e horizontal da força foi utilizada a estatística descritiva, com a identificação dos valores de média e desvio padrão. A análise do efeito das diferentes molas utilizadas no exercício sobre o pico da componente horizontal da força foi realizada através do teste T de Student para amostras dependentes, admitindo-se um valor de p<0,05, onde foi encontrada diferença significativa entre as médias dos picos da componente horizontal da força de membros inferiores nas duas situações de coleta. Ao verificar o efeito das molas sobre a assimetria da força de membro inferior direito e esquerdo, apenas foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas contra a resistência das molas azuis. O tempo de prática foi um aspecto que influenciou a simetria bilateral de membros inferiores. Ao fim desse trabalho, outras finalidades são visualizadas para a aplicação do Reformer instrumentado, como a avaliação de assimetrias laterais de membros inferiores, o diagnóstico do déficit bilateral e sua aplicação no contexto de pacientes hemiparéticos.

Measuring lower limb strength and symmetry is a common practice in elite sports to determine the return to sports point in time during rehabilitation, and this information could be useful for amateur athletes too. However, the devices used for this are highly sophisticated and hardly accessible. The aim of this project is to devise an affordable system for lower limb strength measurement which can be integrated with a common training system, to make this type of information widely available. The system is built up on a flywheel-based leg extension machine (LegExx by Exxentric AB) that allows quadriceps training at maximal force in concentric and eccentric contraction. Inexpensive standard components and software were used for prototyping. The parameters of interest were angular velocity of extension/flexion in the knee and force applied by the athlete. In the first step, evaluation was limited to the concentric phase of movement. Angular velocity and leg position was measured with a gyroscope sensor (Movesense by Suunto). For force measurement, two approaches were tested: In prototype A, the tension of the drive belt, which ultimately puts the flywheel into rotation, was measured with a sensor for tensile forces (Tindeq Progressor 300). In prototype B, a more direct measurement was used, with force sensors mounted under the contact point of the athlete’s shank with the swing beam of the LegExx. Sensor data were transmitted via Bluetooth to a mobile device or a laptop and displayed graphically after synchronization of the data streams. Force values were converted to torque using inverse kinematics to make the two prototypes comparable. The first prototypes were shown to be workable and yielded similar readings for concentric peak torque, with realistic wave forms in the graphical display. Comparison with results of a gold standard isokinetic dynamometer revealed, however, major discrepancies mainly regarding the absolute torque values. Oscillation in the belt system were identified as an issue in prototype A, while cross talk between sensors and vulnerability to leg placement occurred in prototype B. However, these issues are not insurmountable, and it is suggested to proceed with the development of prototype B, as it has the advantage of simultaneous measurement and direct comparison of both legs. / Att mäta styrka och symmetri i nedre extremiteterna är vanligt inom elitidrott för att avgöra när man kan återgå till idrottsutövning under rehabiliteringen, och denna information kan vara användbar även för amatöridrottare. De apparater som används för detta är dock mycket sofistikerade och svårtillgängliga. Syftet med detta projekt är att utforma ett prisvärt system för mätning av styrkan i nedre extremiteterna som kan integreras med ett vanligt träningssystem, för att göra denna typ av information allmänt tillgänglig. Systemet är uppbyggt på en svänghjulsbaserad benspark maskin (LegExx från Exxentric AB) som möjliggör quadriceps träning vid maximal kraft i koncentrisk och excentrisk kontraktion. Kostnadseffektiva standardkomponenter och mjukvara användes för prototypframställning. De parametrar som var av intresse var vinkelhastighet för utsträckning- /böjning i knäet och den kraft som utövades av idrottaren. I det första steget begränsades utvärderingen till rörelsens koncentriska fas. Vinkelhastighet och benposition mättes med en gyroskopisk sensor (Movesense från Suunto). För kraftmätning testades två tillvägagångssätt: I prototyp A mättes dragkraften i drivremmen, som i slutändan sätter svänghjulet i rotation, med en sensor för dragkrafter (Tindeq Progressor 300). I prototyp B användes en mer direkt mätning med kraftsensorer som monterades under kontaktpunkten mellan idrottsutövarens smalben och LegExx:s svängbalk. Sensordata överfördes via Bluetooth till en mobil enhet eller en bärbar dator och visades grafiskt efter synkronisering av dataströmmarna. Kraftvärden omvandlades till vridmoment med hjälp av invers kinematik för att göra de två prototyperna jämförbara. De första prototyperna visade sig fungera och gav liknande mätningar för koncentriskt toppmoment, med realistiska vågformer i den grafiska displayen. En jämförelse med resultaten från en isokinetisk dynamometer med guldstandard visade dock på stora skillnader, främst när det gäller de absoluta vridmomentvärdena. Oscillation i bältesystemet identifierades som ett problem i prototyp A, medan överkoppling mellan sensorer och känslighet för benplacering förekom i prototyp B. Dessa problem är dock inte oöverstigliga, och det föreslås att man fortsätter att utveckla prototyp B, eftersom den har fördelen av samtidig mätning och direkt jämförelse av båda benen.