Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
08:21
Non-invasive Assessments of Subjective and Objective Recovery Characteristics Following an Exhaustive Jump Protocol
Published on: June 8, 2017
11.0K
Changes in drop-jump landing biomechanics during prolonged intermittent exercise
Randy J Schmitz1, John C Cone2, Amanda J Tritsch3
1Applied Neuromechanics Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Sports Health
|March 4, 2014
Summary
Landing biomechanics change during prolonged exercise, with potentially injurious movements appearing later. Understanding these changes in lower extremity biomechanics can inform injury prevention strategies for athletes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Rising injury rates in late-stage sports activities necessitate understanding lower extremity biomechanics during prolonged, gamelike situations.
- Improved biomechanical insights can enhance athlete training and injury prevention programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate lower extremity biomechanics during a drop-jump task within a 90-minute individualized intermittent exercise protocol (IEP) and its 1-hour recovery period.
- To identify biomechanical factors associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk.
Main Methods:
- Controlled laboratory study involving 59 athletes (29 women, 30 men).
- Drop-jump biomechanics were assessed every 15 minutes during a 90-minute IEP simulating soccer match demands and for 1 hour post-IEP.
- A control group performed drop jumps without exercise at similar intervals.
Main Results:
- Key biomechanical factors (hip flexion, hip loading, ankle loading, knee shear force) decreased significantly by the end of the IEP and during recovery (P ≤ 0.05).
- Knee loading specifically decreased during the recovery period.
- These changes suggest fatigue alters landing mechanics over time.
Conclusions:
- The individualized, sport-specific IEP demonstrated more subtle effects on landing biomechanics compared to exhaustive fatigue protocols.
- Potentially injurious landing biomechanics may manifest primarily in the later stages of soccer activity, highlighting the need for fatigue-specific training considerations.
