Seow Ting Searching For The Perfect Balance

When the going gets tough the tough gets going. This aptly describes national rhythmic gymnast Foong Seow Ting

Injuries and training recommendations in elite rhythmic gymnastics

Objective: To identify risk factors for injury in rhythmic sportive gymnastics and to provide recommendations for reducing the risk of injury. Methods: A one-year retrospective survey of injuries in twenty national-level rhythmic gymnasts (ages 14.8 to 18.8 years; mean age 17.1 years). Hours of rhythmic gymnastics (RG) training per week, minutes of stretching per day, and hours of conditioning per week, were analyzed as potential risk factors for injury. Main outcome measures were injuries that required time off, major injuries (at least 7 days off), injuries to muscle-tendon units, and fractures. Results: Thirteen (65%) of 20 gymnasts sustained time-loss injuries, and 4 gymnasts (20%) reported major injuries. Seventeen (85%) gymnasts reported muscle-tendon unit injuries and 5 (25%) suffered fractures. Sixteen (80%) of the gymnasts reported back pain or stress fractures of the back, 8 of whom required time off training. One gymnast (5%) incurred a concussion. Logistic regression indicated that rhythmic gymnastics training and stretching were associated with muscle-tendon unit injury. On multivariate analysis, stretching was found to be the only independent predictor of muscle-tendon unit injuries with each additional minute lowering the risk by approximately 10% (p ≥ 0.01). Conditioning and stretching were both independent predictors of fractures. The risk of fracture was estimated to increase by over 60% for each additional hour of weekly conditioning (odds ratio = 1.62; p = 0.03) and decrease by almost 20% for each additional minute of daily stretching (odds ratio = 0.81; p = 0.04). None of the variables studied were predictive of back pain or injury. Conclusions: Injuries in rhythmic gymnastics may be reduced by increasing the amount of time spent stretching per day (at least 40 minutes), and limiting conditioning to a maximum of 6 hours per week

Perception of congruence between music and movement in a rhythmic gymnastics routine

For sports that involve a routine or choreography, music is used either as a background sonic accompaniment or to enhance and synchronize the movement of the athletes. This paper aims to investigate the perception of congruence between movements and music in a rhythmic gymnastics routine from a musical perspective. Contrary to the conventional method of choreographing a routine based on selected music, this research aims to investigate the quality of the routine with existing choreography accompanied by a newly-composed music. A routine performed by a gymnast was recorded and music composed to match the existing choreography based on the recording. Fifty-two participants from a tertiary institution, all music majors, were asked to evaluate two videos which had the same rhythmic gymnastics routine, one with the athlete’s original music and the other edited with the new music. The result shows that a significantly higher percentage of respondents chose the new accompaniment as having better congruence between the music and movement. Most of the respondents also perceived the new composition to be the original music used by the gymnast

Stretching the spines of gymnasts: a review

Gymnastics is noted for involving highly specialized strength, power, agility and flexibility. Flexibility is perhaps the single greatest discriminator of gymnastics from other sports. The extreme ranges of motion achieved by gymnasts require long periods of training, often occupying more than a decade. Gymnasts also start training at an early age (particularly female gymnasts), and the effect of gymnastics training on these young athletes is poorly understood. One of the concerns of many gymnastics professionals is the training of the spine in hyperextension-the ubiquitous 'arch' seen in many gymnastics positions and movements. Training in spine hyperextension usually begins in early childhood through performance of a skill known as a back-bend. Does practising a back-bend and other hyperextension exercises harm young gymnasts? Current information on spine stretching among gymnasts indicates that, within reason, spine stretching does not appear to be an unusual threat to gymnasts' health. However, the paucity of information demands that further study be undertaken

Strength in young rhythmic gymnasts

The aim of this study was: 1) verify if the level of strength in young Portuguese gymnasts change according to competition levels and ranking positions; 2) compare the level of strength in finalists’ gymnasts of different competition levels; 3) identify the strength tests that discriminate the gymnasts from the different competition levels. The sample consisted of 68 Portuguese young gymnasts (11.7±0.6 years old) of two different competition levels (Base and 1st division). The International Gymnastics Federation recommended tests for strength assessment were applied. For the statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric tests, and the discriminant function (forward stepwise) were used. The 1st division presented higher results than the Base gymnasts in all strength tests. Regarding to competition levels by ranking groups, we observed that the finalists in Base level showed higher results than the remaining ranking groups in all strength tests. In 1st division level gymnasts, the finalists achieved higher results only in 66.7% of strength tests than the remaining ranking groups. The finalists in 1st division had higher number of years of training practice in RG and training volume than the finalists in Base level. However, the 1st division gymnasts obtained higher results in 66.7% tests but a superior statistical significance in only one strength test. Lastly, the tests “rope skipping” and “partial trunk elevations” were the strength tests that discriminate the gymnasts groups according to the competitive level

Determinants of competitive performance in rhythmic gymnastics: a review

Rhythmic Gymnastics is as a complex artistic and aesthetic sport with a particular training process and which demands high levels of physical and psychological stress in competition. Not many studies explain a good proposal which determinate the predictors of a competitive performance and a useful interaction-model of training and sport performance for the different context, ages and levels in rhythmic gymnastic. In this perspective, based on a critical examination of the literature about “Rhythmic Gymnastics” and “Performance”, the aim of this research was to identify the factors that have been studied to predict a higher performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics, analyze them and determinate an "effectively training proposal" to achieve the higher results in competitions. We divided the references in different groups: a) Physiological and biological condition; b) Technical aspects; c) Psychological factors; d) Training process, e) Other dimensions and f) Performance analysis. The results show that most studies on rhythmic gymnastics are descriptive studies about a topic, fewer studies have examined one or more variables related with the performance and more scarce are the studies that show a global perspective and try to explain the predictor of the level of performance. In conclusion, we found some determinants of a competitive performance in Rhythmic Gymnastics which define our proposal. Further intervention studies and studies on the way of the Metamodel studies, “The theoretical and interaction of training and sport performance”, would permit identify the contribution of each factor to the performance and would explain our model on a properly and scientifically way

Autonomy, eating disorders and elite gymnastics: ethical and conceptual issues

Participation in elite sport, and in particular those sports with special demands in terms of weight and shape, is associated with a higher risk for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa [Sundgot-Borgen, J., & Torstveit, M. K. (2010). Aspects of disordered eating continuum in elite high intensity sports. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 20, 112–121]. We report upon research exploring eating attitudes and behaviours within elite gymnastics. The study comprised 42 semi-structured interviews with gymnasts and support staff—34 gymnasts and 9 staff/support staff. The majority of those interviewed were acrobatic gymnasts (22; 16 males and 6 females) with 7 rhythmic gymnasts (all female) and 5 tumblers (all female). The mean age of those gymnasts interviewed was 17.4. A difficulty in precisely delineating extreme eating patterns (disordered eating) from having an eating disorder was noted. Within an elite sports context behaviours thought to be pathological in a more general setting might be fairly commonplace and even functional to the athlete's performance. The extent to which the athlete consents to these patterns of behaviour is problematic given their age and development. We argue that conceptualising consent as ‘authority to be cared for by a trustworthy coach’, more felicitously applies to the child/adolescent elite sporting context, helping us understand not only the focus of the elite gymnast, but also their relationship with the coach and the coaches' responsibilities

Biomechanical indicators of key elements of sports equipment gymnastic exercises

The aim of this study is to analyze the biomechanical performance of the kinematic and dynamic structures of key elements of sports techniques of basic exercises performed gymnasts aged 12 - 14 years to the vaulting and on the bars of different heights, on the basis of the method of postural orientation movements. The study involved 11 gymnasts doing exercises on the vaulting and 9 gymnasts - on the boards of various heights. It is shown that the method of video - computer analysis of the type Yurchenko vault and dismount from the bars of varying heights, in conjunction with the method of postural orientation movements possible to isolate and identify the node elements. The indicators characterizing the node elements of sports equipment movements gymnasts in the phase structure of the vault and dismount from the bars of different heights have specific features and characteristics. Learned node elements sports equipment is the basis for the measurement, analysis and evaluation of the kinematic and dynamic structures and other types of exercises all-around gymnastics

Performance Variables and Technical Penalties of the Split Leap

Los autores desean mostrar su agradecimiento a las gimnastas participantes en este estudio por su esfuerzo entusiasta e implicación durante la ejecución de la habilidad de salto analizadaSe analizó la relación entre las penalizaciones técnicas obtenidas en la ejecución de un elemento gimnástico aislado con el nivel competitivo de las gimnastas, sus características antropométricas y las variables temporales y angulares más importantes analizadas en dicha habilidad. Fueron seleccionadas 29 gimnastas (17,1 ± 3,1 años) procedentes de distintos niveles competitivos. Tres entrenadores evaluaron la ejecución mediante una adaptación del Código de Puntuación. Se observaron asociaciones significativas directas e indirectas (p < 0,05): bajo índice de adiposidad (rho = 0,643), tiempo total de batida (rho = 0,619), tiempo total de vuelo (rho = - 0,596), máxima amplitud articular de caderas (rho = - 0,902) y máxima extensión de los tobillos (rho = - 0,738). La valoración de las penalizaciones así como el uso del nivel competitivo y del Salto Zancada como test específico han resultado ser herramientas útiles para la valoración del rendimientoThe aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the following aspects: the technical penalties obtained in the execution of an isolated gymnastics element, the competitive level of the gymnasts, their anthropometric characteristics, and the most important temporal and angular variables analyzed in this skill. Twenty nine gymnasts (aged 17.1 ± 3.1 years) from different competition levels were selected. Three coaches evaluated the execution through an adaptation of the Code of Points. Significant direct and indirect associations were observed (p < 0.05): low adiposity index (rho = 0.643), take-off total time (rho = 0.619), flight total time (rho = - 0.596), maximum range of motion of the hips (rho = - 0.902), and maximum extension of ankles (rho = - 0.738). The assessment of penalties as well as the use of competitive level and Split Leap as specific tests, have demonstrated to be useful tools for evaluating performanc