How to Improve the Standing Long Jump Performance? A Mininarrative Review

Effects of adding dual-task or sport-specific task constrains to jump-landing tests on biomechanical parameters related to injury risk factors in team sports: a systematic review

Background

Jumping and landing tests are frequently used as a tool to assess muscle function. However, they are performed in a controlled and predictable environment. The physical tests commonly used as part of the criteria for return to sport after injury are often performed with little or no cognitive load and low coordinative demand compared to game-specific actions. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the influence of performing a dual task (DT) or sport-specific task constrains during jump-landing tests on biomechanical variables related to lower limb injury risk in team sports.

Methods

This systematic review followed the specific methodological guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search was conducted in the databases Medline (PubMed), Web of Science, Cochrane Plus, and SportDiscus for studies published from 2013 until June 30, 2023. To be eligible, studies had to include: (1) kinematic and/or kinetic assessment of injury risk factors in the lower extremity; (2) a comparison between a simple jump or landing test and a DT jump or landing test which included cognitive information. The risk of bias in the selected articles was analyzed using the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration.

Results

Of the 656 records identified, 13 met the established criteria. Additionally, two more articles were manually included after screening references from the included articles and previous related systematic reviews. Regarding the Risk of bias assessment, 12 studies did not surpass a score of 3 points (out of a total of 7). Only three studies exceeded a score of 3 points, with one article achieving a total score of 6. From the included studies, comparative conditions included actions influenced by the inclusion of a sports ball (n = 6), performing tasks in virtual environments or with virtual feedback (n = 2), participation in cognitive tasks (n = 6), and tasks involving dual processes (n = 7). The execution of decision-making (DM) during the jump-landing action resulted in biomechanical changes such as lower peak angles of hip flexion and knee flexion, along with increased vertical ground reaction force, knee abduction, and tibial internal rotation. Regarding limitations, discrepancies arise in defining what constitutes DT. As a result, it is possible that not all studies included in this review fit all conceptual definitions of DT. The inclusion of DT or constraints in jump-landing tests significantly alters biomechanical variables related to lower extremity injury risk in team sports. In future research, it would be beneficial to incorporate tasks into jumping tests that simulate the specific cognitive demands of team sports. This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42023462102) and this research received no external funding.

Effects of Verbal and Tactile Cues on Gluteal Force Production and Broad Jump Distance

Background

Verbal and tactile cues can increase muscle activity, force production, and kinematics. Several studies demonstrate the effects of verbal and tactile cues on upper extremity muscles, while relatively few examined lower extremity muscles, specifically the gluteals. Studies that observed changes in gluteal function from verbal and tactile cues examined muscle activity via electromyography rather than force production or functional activities such as jumping.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of verbal and tactile cues on gluteal force production and broad jump distance.

Study Design

Cross-Sectional cohort.

Methods

Gluteus maximus force production and broad jump distance were tested in forty-two healthy male and female university students at baseline and after verbal and tactile cues given in random order. Gluteus maximus force was measured using handheld dynamometry and reported in kilograms. Verbal cues included "push, push, push" before both tests. The examiner provided tactile cues to the gluteus maximus before force production testing, and the participant provided tactile cues to both gluteus maximus muscles before performing the broad jump. Performance on the broad jump was measured in centimeters. Descriptive statistics and test-retest reliability via Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, differences in performance between sexes were analyzed with an independent t-test, and changes in force production and jump distance from baseline were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA.

Results

Mean gluteus maximus force production following verbal cues significantly increased (p = 0.000) by 13.48% (3.83 kg) compared to the control condition, while gluteal force production following the tactile cues was not significantly different. Broad jump distance following the verbal cues significantly increased (p = 0.000) 3.99% (7.71 cm) compared to the control condition and significantly increased (p = 0.000) by 2.95% (5.71 cm) following the tactile cues. There were no significant differences in performances between males and females. The test-retest reliability of all measurements was 0.97-0.99.

Conclusion

Verbal cues significantly increased gluteus maximus force production and broad jump distance. Tactile cues significantly increased broad jump distance but had no significant effect on gluteus maximus force. These results have implications for clinical testing and athletic performance when gluteus maximus force and jump distance are concerned.

Level of Evidence

3.

A Functional Drink Containing Kaempferia parviflora Extract Increases Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Physical Flexibility in Adult Volunteers

Owing to the reputation of Kaempferia parviflora and the crucial role of oxidative stress on the disturbance of physical fitness, the effect of a functional drink containing K. parviflora extract (KP) on the physical fitness of healthy adult volunteers was assessed. Healthy male and female volunteers (19-60 years old) were randomly divided into placebo, KP90, and KP180 groups. All the subjects in KP90 and KP180 were directed to consume a functional drink containing K. parviflora extract at doses of 90 and 180 mg per serving per 80 mL, respectively. Parameters of physical fitness, including cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition, together with changes in lactate, creatinine kinase, and oxidative stress markers were assessed before the intervention, and at 6 and 12 weeks of intervention. The oxidative stress markers, creatine kinase, and lactate were also measured. Subjects who consumed the developed drink had increased VO2 max and improved performance in a timed shuttle run test and 5 min distance run, and exhibited decreased oxidative stress and lactate; therefore, K. parviflora extract can be successfully used for developing a KP drink to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and physical performance by improving oxidative stress and lactate.

Positional transversal release is effective as stretching on range of movement, performance and balance: a cross-over study

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the positional transversal release (PTR) technique to stretching and evaluate the acute effects on range of movement (ROM), performance and balance.

Methods

Thirty-two healthy individuals (25.3 ± 5.6 years; 68.8 ± 12.5 kg; 172.0 ± 8.8 cm) were tested on four occasions 1 week apart. ROM through a passive straight leg raise, jumping performance through a standing long jump (SLJ) and balance through the Y-balance test were measured. Each measure was assessed before (T0), immediately after (T1) and after 15 min (T2) of the provided intervention. On the first occasion, no intervention was administered (CG). The intervention order was randomized across participants and comprised static stretching (SS), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and the PTR technique. A repeated measure analysis of variance was used for comparisons.

Results

No differences across the T0 of the four testing sessions were observed. No differences between T0, T1 and T2 were present for the CG session. A significant time × group interaction for ROM in both legs from T0 to T1 (mean increase of 5.4° and 4.9° for right and left leg, respectively) was observed for SS, PNF and the PTR. No differences for all groups were present between T1 and T2. No differences in the SLJ and in measures of balance were observed across interventions.

Conclusions

The PTR is equally effective as SS and PNF in acutely increasing ROM of the lower limbs. However, the PTR results less time-consuming than SS and PNF. Performance and balance were unaffected by all the proposed interventions.

The Effect of an 8-Week Rope Skipping Intervention on Standing Long Jump Performance

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of an 8-week rope skipping intervention in enhancing standing long jump performance was assessed by means of specific kinematic parameters acquired by 3-D space photography. The fifteen male college students from the physical education institute were randomly recruited as the research subjects. Participants first completed a standing long jump test without rope skipping intervention. Participants subsequently took part in a second standing long jump test after rope skipping training. Two high-speed digital cameras with 100 Hz sampling rate were synchronized to capture the movement. The captured images were processed using motion analysis suite, and the markers attached to joints on images were optical auto capture. Based on the results, the velocity of the center of gravity at take-off and landing were significantly improved. In addition, the study confirmed the requirement for forward tilt of the hip joint at landing to increase the velocity of the center of gravity and hence long jump distance. The detailed kinematic analysis described here provided further evidence of the benefits of integrating non-specialized and specialized training activities to enhance athletic performance and offers a contribution to movement theory and practice.

Research on Long Jump Posture in School Physical Education Teaching Based on Video Analysis

Based on video, the human movement can be analyzed to achieve scientific training and skill improvement. Specifically, according to the video data during the movement, the human body can be detected and tracked, and relevant trajectory data can be obtained. On this basis, key motion parameters can be obtained and quantitative analysis of motion can be achieved. This paper uses video processing technologies to analyze the long jump posture in physical education. According to the video sequences measured during the athlete's long jump, the target detection and tracking algorithms are used to obtain the athlete's trajectory after preprocessing. Afterwards, further processing is carried out to calculate speed, angle, posture, and other related information to assist scientific sports training. The experimental results based on the measured data show that the algorithm can realize the analysis of the long jump scene and complete the quantitative analysis of the key indicators of the athletes. The research results can effectively support school physical education and guidance training and also provide a reference for other competitive video analysis.

High BMI and Low Muscular Fitness Predict Low Motor Competence in School-Aged Children Living in Low-Resourced Areas

Childhood obesity is a relatively new problem for Sub-Saharan developing countries. Especially in children with a low socioeconomic background, the link between motor competence, muscular fitness, and body mass index (BMI) remains poorly investigated. Due to the interrelatedness of BMI and physical fitness, the aim of this study is to determine the predictive value of these factors in relation to low motor competence in school-aged children living in low-resourced areas. Motor competence and physical fitness were assessed in 1037 school-aged Ghanaian and South African children using the Performance and Fitness test battery (PERF-FIT). “Low motor competence” was predicted using odds ratios calculated from backward logistic regression analyses. Low motor competence was less prevalent in Ghanaian children (3.7–11.1%) compared to the South African children (21.9–24.2%). Increased BMI and decreased muscular fitness predicted low motor competence in both Ghanaian and South African children. For example, the chance for a Ghanaian child to have low static balance increased by 22.8% (OR = 1.228, p < 0.001) with a 1-point increase in BMI, whereas this decreased by 30.0% (OR = 0.970, p < 0.001) with a 10-cm increase on the standing long jump. In the case of the South African children, if their BMI increased by 1 point, the chance for those children of having low static balance increased by 7.9%, and if their SLJ performance decreased by 10 cm, their chance of low performance increased by 13%. Clearly, motor competence is associated with both BMI and muscular fitness. Policy makers can use this information to counteract the establishment of childhood obesity by promoting weight control through physical activity and stimulating motor competence at school.

Biomechanical Characteristics between Bionic Shoes and Normal Shoes during the Drop-Landing Phase: A Pilot Study

With the development of unstable footwear, more research has focused on the advantages of this type of shoe. This type of shoe could improve the muscle function of the lower limb and prevent injury risks in dynamic situations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate differences in lower-limb kinetics and kinematics based on single-leg landing (SLL) using normal shoes (NS) and bionic shoes (BS). The study used 15 male subject volunteers (age 23.4 ± 1.14 years, height 177.6 ± 4.83cm, body weight (BW) 73.6 ± 7.02 kg). To ensure the subject standardization of the participants, there were several inclusion criteria used for selection. There were two kinds of experimental shoes used in the landing experiment to detect the change of lower limbs when a landing task was performed. Kinetics and kinematic data were collected during an SLL task, and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis was used to evaluate the differences between NS and BS. We found that the flexion and extension angles of the knee (p = 0.004) and hip (p = 0.046, p = 0.018) joints, and the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of ankle (p = 0.031) moment were significantly different in the sagittal planes. In the frontal plane, the eversion and inversion of the ankle (p = 0.016), and the abduction and adduction of knee (p = 0.017, p = 0.007) angle were found significant differences. In the horizontal plane, the external and internal rotation of hip (p = 0.036) and knee (p < 0.001, p = 0.029) moment were found significant differences, and knee angle (p = 0.043) also. According to our results, we conclude that using BS can cause bigger knee and hip flexion than NS. Also, this finding indicates that BS might be considered to reduce lower-limb injury risk during the SLL phase.