Using markerless motion analysis to quantify sex and discipline differences in external mechanical work during...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• Overuse injuries are prevalent in badminton, impacting player development.
• Current training load metrics do not fully capture badminton's physical demands.
• Understanding external mechanical work is crucial for optimizing training and preventing injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify external mechanical work and power during badminton match play.
• To compare these demands across different sexes (male vs. female) and disciplines (singles vs. doubles).
• To identify potential implications for training and injury prevention strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an eight-camera motion capture system to record competitive badminton players.
• Employed markerless pose estimation (HRNet) and a kinematic model (OpenSim) for analysis.
• Calculated mass-normalized external mechanical work and power for 30 points per match.

Main Results:

• Men's matches exhibited significantly greater normalized work and power compared to women's matches.
• Singles matches showed higher normalized work and power than doubles matches.
• Discipline-related differences in mechanical demands were most pronounced in highly skilled players.

Conclusions:

• External mechanical work and power demands in badminton vary significantly by sex and discipline.
• Elite male players, particularly in singles, face higher physical loads, necessitating targeted strength training and recovery.
• These findings underscore the need for sex- and discipline-specific training load monitoring in badminton.