Relationship between maximal jumping height in pole vault and the approach-run velocity evaluated by digitising...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Science
• Athletic Performance Analysis

Background:

• Accurate measurement of approach-run velocity is vital for understanding pole vaulting performance.
• Previous methods for calculating velocity, such as body-only digitizing and laser displacement, have varying degrees of accuracy.
• Comparing these methods against a whole-system approach is essential for validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate approach-run velocities from body-only and laser methods against a whole-system method in pole vaulting.
• To determine the relationship between different velocity measurement methods and maximal centre of mass (COM) height during clearance.
• To assess the impact of velocity measurement techniques on the correlation with jumping performance.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen male pole vaulters performed 96 attempts in outdoor competitions.
• Approach-run velocities were measured using body-only digitizing, laser displacement, and a whole-system method.
• Bland-Altman plots were used to assess bias and agreement between methods.
• The association between approach-run velocity and maximal COM height was analyzed.

Main Results:

• The peak approach-run velocity from the body-only method exhibited negligible bias compared to the whole-system method.
• Other parameters from body-only digitizing and laser methods showed significant errors.
• A strong positive correlation was found between peak approach-run velocity and maximal COM height across all methods.
• The relationship between maximal COM height and decreased approach-run velocity was stronger for digitizing methods than the laser method.

Conclusions:

• The body-only digitizing method provides a reliable estimate of peak approach-run velocity in pole vaulting.
• Conventional digitizing and laser methods require careful application due to potential biases and errors.
• While peak velocity strongly correlates with jump height, the relationship with velocity decrease varies by measurement method, impacting performance analysis.