Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026
07:30
Muscle Imbalances: Testing and Training Functional Eccentric Hamstring Strength in Athletic Populations
Published on: May 1, 2018
16.0K
Lower limb stiffness testing in athletic performance: a critical review.
Sean J Maloney1, Iain M Fletcher1
1Department of Sports Science and Physical Activity, University of Bedfordshire , Bedford, UK.
Sports Biomechanics
|May 17, 2018
Summary
Stiffer legs enhance athletic performance by improving elastic energy use. Vertical stiffness is reliably measured and linked to running speed, unlike less reliable joint stiffness measures.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Sports Science
- Human Movement Analysis
Background:
- Stiffness, the resistance to deformation, is crucial for athletic performance.
- A stiffer leg-spring can enhance performance by optimizing elastic energy utilization.
- Spring-mass and torsional models are used to analyze whole-body and joint stiffness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review methods for characterizing stiffness in athletes.
- To assess the reliability and performance implications of different stiffness measures.
- To explore field-based methods for determining stiffness.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of various tasks: hopping, gait, jumping, sledge ergometry, and change of direction.
- Evaluation of reliability across different stiffness measurement techniques.
- Comparison of force plate analysis with validated field-based equations.
Main Results:
- Vertical stiffness exhibits the highest reliability and may be more sensitive to running performance changes than leg stiffness.
- Joint stiffness measures show the weakest reliability, with ankle stiffness being more reliable than knee stiffness.
- Stiffness measures correlate with performance, increasing with intensity and observed in athletes with high ground reaction forces.
Conclusions:
- Vertical stiffness is a reliable measure related to athletic performance.
- Field-based equations offer a practical alternative for whole-body stiffness assessment.
- Choosing the appropriate stiffness assessment is critical for individual athletes and teams.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Review and Preview
8.4K
In statistics, several tools are used to interpret the data. Measures of central tendency represent the characteristics of the data, such as mean, median, and mode. Additionally, measures of variance like standard deviation and range are used to find the spread of data from the mean. Relative standing measures the distance between data locations. Commonly used measures of relative standings are percentile, z score, and quartiles.
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
8.4K
01:13Review and Preview
11.6K
Data are individual items of information obtained from a population or sample. Data may be classified as qualitative (categorical), quantitative continuous, or quantitative discrete. Because it is not practical to measure the entire population in a study, researchers use samples to represent the population. A random sample is a representative group from the population chosen by using a method that gives each individual in the population an equal chance of being included in the sample. Random...
11.6K
01:16Critical Region, Critical Values and Significance Level
13.4K
The critical region, critical value, and significance level are interdependent concepts crucial in hypothesis testing.
In hypothesis testing, a sample statistic is converted to a test statistic using z, t, or chi-square distribution. A critical region is an area under the curve in probability distributions demarcated by the critical value. When the test statistic falls in this region, it suggests that the null hypothesis must be rejected. As this region contains all those values of the...
In hypothesis testing, a sample statistic is converted to a test statistic using z, t, or chi-square distribution. A critical region is an area under the curve in probability distributions demarcated by the critical value. When the test statistic falls in this region, it suggests that the null hypothesis must be rejected. As this region contains all those values of the...
13.4K
01:31Critical Values
10.4K
A critical value is a definite value obtained from a particular probability distribution at a predecided confidence level (or a predecided significance level) for a given population parameter. The critical value provides demarcation that separates the sample statistics that are likely to occur from the ones that are unlikely to occur based on the given probability distribution and the population parameter to be estimated. The critical value for normal distribution is obtained from the z...
10.4K
01:19Critical Thinking
1.2K
Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and the evaluation of evidence. Critical thinkers seek to understand the deeper meaning of ideas, question assumptions, and make independent decisions about what to believe or do. Scientists, for instance, are often critical thinkers. Critical thinking also requires humility about what we know and don't know and the motivation to look beyond the obvious. It is essential for effective problem-solving.
Colleges and universities are...
Colleges and universities are...
1.2K
01:24Critical Thinking I
5.2K
Critical thinking helps decision-making and allows nurses to recognize barriers to success and find solutions to possible issues. It helps to brainstorm and implement ideas to achieve goals. Critical thinking helps acknowledge and state workflow inefficiencies while improving management techniques. Nurses understand the value of critical thinking and look for fellow nurses with critical thinking skills to upgrade their professional standards. Critical thinking can advance a nurse's career...
5.2K