Coordination and coordination variability during single-leg drop jump landing in children

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Motor Control
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Coordinative movement patterns are learned and refined through experience, leading to functional yet variable motor solutions.
• Early childhood sports participation can significantly shape the development of coordination variability in fundamental movements.
• Understanding how different sports influence motor patterns is crucial for optimizing training and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare coordination variability and patterns during single-leg landings in children with varied early sports experience.
• To analyze differences between children practicing gymnastics, volleyball, and those with no sports background.

Main Methods:

• Thirty children (15 girls) performed 10 single-leg landings from a 25 cm height.
• A 9-camera motion capture system recorded 3D thigh and shank kinematics.
• One-dimensional Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) analyzed group differences in coordination and variability.

Main Results:

• In the frontal plane during the attenuation phase, non-sporting children showed more Anti-Phase coordination with proximal dominance than sports groups.
• In the sagittal plane during the second peak phase, volleyball players exhibited greater coordination variability than gymnasts.
• Non-sporting children displayed a higher frequency of antiphasic movements, indicating early training's impact on variability.

Conclusions:

• Early sports practice significantly influences the development of coordination patterns and variability in single-leg landings.
• Gymnastics and volleyball training lead to distinct coordination strategies, affecting movement adaptability.
• The type and initiation of sports training are critical factors in modulating motor variability from a young age.