A Proposed Framework to Describe Movement Variability within Sporting Tasks: A Scoping Review
Jake Cowin1,2, Sophia Nimphius3, James Fell4
1School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Newnham, TAS, Australia. jake.cowin@utas.edu.au.
Sports Medicine - Open
|June 27, 2022
Summary
Movement variability in sports lacks clear definitions. This study proposes a framework distinguishing strategic, execution, and outcome variability for better understanding and training in athletic performance.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Motor Control
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Movement variability, the normal variation in motor performance, is crucial in sports but lacks consistent definitions.
- Existing terminology is broad, hindering specific analysis of how variations impact athletic performance and injury risk.
- A clear understanding of movement variability is essential for optimizing training and performance in athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of terms and definitions for movement variability in sporting tasks.
- To develop a framework that distinguishes and defines different types of movement variability relevant to sports.
- To provide clear definitions for strategic, execution, and outcome variability to enhance research and practical application.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review of 43 peer-reviewed journal articles assessing sporting movements and quantifiable measures of variability.
- Extraction and analysis of 280 terms related to movement variability terminology.
- Development of a theoretical framework based on motor control principles, adapted for sports literature.
Main Results:
- A significant lack of defined terms was found, with 60% of extracted terms (169/280) being undefined in the source material.
- A proposed framework categorizes movement variability into three types: strategic, execution, and outcome.
- Strategic variability relates to different movement approaches, execution variability to adjustments between repetitions, and outcome variability to performance results.
Conclusions:
- The proposed framework offers specific definitions for movement variability types, enabling like-to-like comparisons in sports research.
- This framework can aid athletes, coaches, and support staff in understanding variability's contribution to performance.
- Tailored training methods can be developed to optimize specific aspects of movement variability for enhanced athletic success.
