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Smartpaddle® as a New Monitoring Feature: A Comparison Between Inertial Measurement Unit- and Strain Gauge-Based
João Octavio R P DE Campos1, Felipe A Ribeiro2, Gabriel Luches-Pereira1
1School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, BRAZIL.
International Journal of Exercise Science
|June 12, 2024
Summary
The Smartpaddle® wearable device shows high test-retest reliability for analyzing swimming arm-stroke forces. However, it is not directly comparable to the strain gauge method due to significant systematic errors.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Wearable Technology
Background:
- The Smartpaddle® is a novel wearable device utilizing inertial measurement units (IMU) for in-field analysis of swimming arm-stroke kinetics and kinematics.
- Limited data exists on the agreement and reliability of the Smartpaddle®, necessitating evaluation against established methods like strain gauges (SG).
- Assessing swimming forces accurately is crucial for performance analysis and training optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the agreement and reliability between the Smartpaddle® and a strain gauge (SG) reference method for swimming force analysis.
- To evaluate the Smartpaddle®'s performance in a controlled, all-out arms-only tethered swimming test.
Main Methods:
- Twelve trained young adult swimmers participated in a 30-second all-out arms-only tethered swimming test with a retest.
- Peak and mean forces were simultaneously recorded using both the Smartpaddle® (IMU) and a strain gauge (SG).
- Statistical analysis included comparisons of forces between devices and test-retest reliability assessments (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient - ICC).
Main Results:
- Significant statistical differences were found in both peak (p < 0.001) and mean (p < 0.001) forces between the Smartpaddle® and SG.
- The Smartpaddle® showed substantial systematic errors when compared to the SG, indicating a lack of direct agreement.
- High test-retest reliability was observed for the Smartpaddle® in both peak (ICC = 0.96) and mean (ICC = 0.95) forces, with negligible systematic errors between trials.
Conclusions:
- The Smartpaddle® device, while demonstrating high test-retest reliability, is not directly comparable to the strain gauge reference method for absolute swimming force measurement.
- The device's high reliability suggests its potential utility for monitoring changes in swimming force over time or comparing relative efforts.
- Further research may be needed to calibrate or refine the Smartpaddle® for more accurate absolute force quantification in swimming.
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