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Differences in spring-mass characteristics between one- and two-legged hopping.

Hiroaki Hobara¹, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Emika Kato

¹Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan, and with the Department of Rehabilitation for the Movement Functions, Research Institute, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.

Journal of Applied Biomechanics

|December 29, 2012

Summary

Two-legged hopping (TLH) shows greater leg stiffness (K(leg)) and peak force (F(peak)) than one-legged hopping (OLH) across frequencies. Differences in K(leg) are primarily due to F(peak), not center of mass displacement (ΔCOM).

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Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Human movement analysis
Sports science

Background:

Athletic activities and plyometric training often involve unilateral and bilateral movements.
Limited research exists on leg stiffness (K(leg)) differences between one-legged hopping (OLH) and two-legged hopping (TLH).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of hopping frequencies on K(leg) during OLH and TLH.
To compare K(leg) between OLH and TLH across different frequencies.

Main Methods:

Utilized a spring-mass model to analyze data from 17 participants.
Collected data during OLH and TLH at 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 Hz.
Calculated K(leg) as the ratio of maximal ground reaction force (F(peak)) to maximum center of mass displacement (ΔCOM).

Main Results:

K(leg) and F(peak) were significantly higher during TLH compared to OLH at all tested frequencies.
No significant effect of hopping type (OLH vs. TLH) on ΔCOM was observed.
Differences in K(leg) between OLH and TLH were primarily attributed to variations in F(peak).

Conclusions:

Leg stiffness (K(leg)) differs significantly between one-legged hopping (OLH) and two-legged hopping (TLH) at equivalent frequencies.
The primary driver for K(leg) differences is the maximal ground reaction force (F(peak)), not the center of mass displacement (ΔCOM).
Findings provide insights into the biomechanics of hopping and inform training methodologies.