THE EFFECT OF POLO DRILL SWIMMING ON FREESTYLE KINEMATICS: A PILOT STUDY

The purpose of this pilot study was to compare temporal performance variables and kinematic parameters during the entry and catch phase of freestyle and Polo drill swimming. Five well-trained freestyle swimmers performed 400 m of Polo drill and freestyle through a 8.91 m3 calibrated space recorded by eight synchronised cameras. Differences were assessed by a paired t-test and effect size (d) calculations for each variable. Significant differences occurred with respect to stroke length, stroke rate, stroke duration, entry and catch duration, hip velocity and vertical displacement and trunk inclination. The finger displacement and velocity, elbow angle and shoulder displacement were not significantly different through the entry and catch phase of the stroke. This work identified that while notable differences exist between freestyle and Polo drill swimming, there is an indication that some key parameters may be similar

THE VALIDATION OF A SWIMMING TURN WALL-CONTACT-TIME MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

The effectiveness of the swimming turn is highly influential to overall performance in competitive swimming. The push-off or wall contact, within the turn phase, is directly involved in determining the speed the swimmer leaves the wall. Therefore, it is paramount to develop reliable methods to measure the wall-contact-time during the turn phase for training and research purposes. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and concurrent validity of the Pool Pad system to measure wall-contact-time during the turn. Despite measurement differences, the results analyses demonstrated that the Pool Pad is suitable for measuring wall-contact-time within a training environment

MEASURING INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY IN FOUR SWIM STROKES USING AN AUTOMATIC HEAD TRACKING SYSTEM: A COMPARISON STUDY

This study compared instantaneous swimming velocity from an automated video-based system to a tethered speedometer. Twenty-two state- and national-level swimmers (7 M, 15 F; 14.5 ± 2.5 yrs) swam 25 m of each stroke at maximal intensity. Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between systems for backstroke and freestyle but poorer agreement for butterfly and breaststroke. The RMS error was also lower in backstroke and freestyle compared to butterfly and breaststroke. The differences in systems may be explained by the different body segments tracked by each system (head vs hips) and with differences being more apparent during butterfly and breaststroke due to the wave-like motion of these strokes. While the automated video-based system is suitable for measuring instantaneous swimming velocity, coaches, sports scientists, and swimmers should be aware of larger discrepancies between systems when assessing butterfly and breaststroke

The Biomechanics Research and Innovation Challenge: Development, Implementation, Uptake, and Reflections on the Inaugural Program

Biomechanics as a discipline is ideally placed to increase awareness and participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A nationwide Biomechanics and Research Innovation Challenge (BRInC) centered on mentoring and role modeling was developed to engage high school girls (mentees) and early-mid-career women (mentors) in the field of biomechanics through the completion of a 100-day research and/or innovation project. This manuscript describes the development, implementation, and uptake of the inaugural BRInC program and synthesizes the research and innovation projects undertaken, providing a framework for adoption of this program within the global biomechanics community. Eighty-seven high school girls in years 9 and 10 (age range: 14–16 y) were mentored in teams (n = 17) by women in biomechanics (n = 24). Using a design thinking approach, teams generated solutions to biomechanics-based problem(s)/research question(s). Eight key reflections on program strengths, as well as areas for improvement and planned changes for future iterations of the BRInC program, are outlined. These key reflections highlight the innovation, impact, and scalability of the program; the importance of a program framework and effective communication tools; and implementation of strategies to sustain the program as well as the importance of diversity and building a sense of community.</p

Separation of the PROX1 gene from upstream conserved elements in a complex inversion/translocation patient with hypoplastic left heart

Hypoplastic left heart (HLH) occurs in at least 1 in 10 000 live births but may be more common in utero. Its causes are poorly understood but a number of affected cases are associated with chromosomal abnormalities. We set out to localize the breakpoints in a patient with sporadic HLH and a de novo translocation. Initial studies showed that the apparently simple 1q41;3q27.1 translocation was actually combined with a 4-Mb inversion, also de novo, of material within 1q41. We therefore localized all four breakpoints and found that no known transcription units were disrupted. However we present a case, based on functional considerations, synteny and position of highly conserved non-coding sequence elements, and the heterozygous Prox1(+/-) mouse phenotype (ventricular hypoplasia), for the involvement of dysregulation of the PROX1 gene in the aetiology of HLH in this case. Accordingly, we show that the spatial expression pattern of PROX1 in the developing human heart is consistent with a role in cardiac development. We suggest that dysregulation of PROX1 gene expression due to separation from its conserved upstream elements is likely to have caused the heart defects observed in this patient, and that PROX1 should be considered as a potential candidate gene for other cases of HLH. The relevance of another breakpoint separating the cardiac gene ESRRG from a conserved downstream element is also discusse