Asymmetry analysis of the arm segments during forward handspring on floor

Asymmetry in gymnastics underpins successful performance and may also have implications as an injury mechanism; therefore, understanding of this concept could be useful for coaches and clinicians. The aim of this study was to examine kinematic and external kinetic asymmetry of the arm segments during the contact phase of a fundamental skill, the forward handspring on floor. Using a repeated single subject design six female National elite gymnasts (age: 19 ± 1.5 years, mass: 58.64 ± 3.72 kg, height: 1.62 ± 0.41 m), each performed 15 forward handsprings, synchronised 3D kinematic and kinetic data were collected. Asymmetry between the lead and non-lead side arms was quantified during each trial. Significant kinetic asymmetry was observed for all gymnasts (p < 0.005) with the direction of the asymmetry being related to the lead leg. All gymnasts displayed kinetic asymmetry for ground reaction force. Kinematic asymmetry was present for more gymnasts at the shoulder than the distal joints. These findings provide useful information for coaching gymnastics skills, which may subjectively appear to be symmetrical. The observed asymmetry has both performance and injury implications

Coordination as a function of skill level in the gymnastics longswing

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of inter-joint coordination at different levels of skilled performance to: (1) distinguish learners who were successful versus unsuccessful in terms of their task performance; (2) investigate the pathways of change during the learning of a new coordination pattern and (3) examine how the learner’s coordination patterns relate to those of experts in the longswing gymnastics skill. Continuous relative phase of hip and shoulder joint motions was examined for longswings performed by two groups of novices, successful (n = 4) and unsuccessful (n = 4) over five practice sessions, and two expert gymnasts. Principal component analysis showed that during longswing positions where least continuous relative phase variability occurred for expert gymnasts, high variability distinguished the successful from the unsuccessful novice group. Continuous relative phase profiles of successful novices became more out-of-phase over practice and less similar to the closely in-phase coupling of the expert gymnasts. Collectively, the findings support the proposition that at the level in inter-joint coordination a technique emerges that facilitates successful performance but is not more like an expert’s movement coordination. This finding questions the appropriateness of inferring development towards a “gold champion” movement coordination

Effect of plyometric training on handspring vault performance and functional power in youth female gymnasts

This study aimed to determine the effect of plyometric training (PT) when added to habitual gymnastic training (HT) on handspring vault (HV) performance variables. Twenty youth female competitive gymnasts (Age: 12.5 ± 1.67 y) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to two independent groups. The experimental plyometric training group (PTG) undertook a six-week plyometric program, involving two additional 45 min PT sessions a week, alongside their HT, while the control group (CG) performed regular HT only. Videography was used (120 Hz) in the sagittal plane to record both groups performing three HVs for both the baseline and post-intervention trials. Furthermore, participants completed a countermovement jump test (CMJ) to assess the effect of PT on functional power. Through the use of Quintic biomechanics software, significant improvements (P < 0.05) were found for the PTG for run-up velocity, take-off velocity, hurdle to board distance, board contact time, table contact time and post-flight time and CMJ height. However, there were no significant improvements on pre-flight time, shoulder angle or hip angle on the vault for the PTG. The CG demonstrated no improvement for all HV measures. A sport-specific PT intervention improved handspring vault performance measures and functional power when added to the habitual training of youth female gymnasts. The additional two hours plyometric training seemingly improved the power generating capacity of movement-specific musculature, which consequently improved aspects of vaulting performance. Future research is required to examine the whether the improvements are as a consequence of the additional volume of sprinting and jumping activities, as a result of the specific PT method or a combination of these factors

Применение удобрений пролонгированного действия при выращивании рассады земляники садовой

Timeliness. Currently, the Russian Federation has a high demand in healthy planting material of garden strawberries. The benefits of using fertilizers when growing strawberry seedlings have been proven by numerous studies. However, a comparative study of the effect of new fertilizers and methods of their application is very limited. In this regard, studies aimed at identifying the effectiveness of the use of prolonged-acting fertilizers in the production of garden strawberry planting material in protected soil conditions are relevant.Methods. Adapted to non-sterile conditions, ex vitro healthy garden strawberry plants were planted in a peat substrate of Veltorf LLC (recipe No. 5c/2) with the addition of Pg mix starter fertilizer with the structure NPK 14-16-18 + microelements (1.5 g/l of substrate). At the same time, prolonged-acting fertilizers were introduced into the substrate in the recommended concentrations: FertiPro Gran 1M (1.25 g/l of substrate), Ruscote 5-6M (3.0 g/l of substrate), Basacote Plus 6M (4.0 g/l of substrate), control peat substrate without fertilizers, PG mix standard.Results. It has been established that for the Karmen crop with an average runner-forming ability, the effectiveness of applying FertiPro Gran 1M fertilizer to the substrate was revealed, with the use of which, on the 180th day of cultivation, the number of runners and rosettes increases by 3.5–3.8 times compared to the control. At the same time, the yield of marketable seedlings is 95% compared to 70% in the control. For the Jūnija smaids crop with a high vine-forming ability, the effectiveness of all experimental variants with the application of FertiPro Gran 1M, Ruscote and Basacote Plus fertilizers to the substrate was revealed, with the use of which, on the 180th day of cultivation, the number of runners and rosettes increases by 1,9-2,5 times compared to the control. At the same time, the yield of marketable seedlings is 94-96% compared to 65% in the control.Conclusion. The introduction of long–acting fertilizers FertiPro Gran, Ruscote and Basacote Plus into the peat substrate with the addition of Pg mix starter fertilizer allowed a 2.3 – 3.8-fold increase in the number of runners obtained and 1.9-3.5-fold increase in the number of sockets obtained compared to the control without fertilizers. Актуальность. В настоящее время в Российской Федерации существует высокая потребность в оздоровленном посадочном материале земляники садовой. Преимущество применения удобрений при выращивании рассады земляники были доказаны многочисленными исследованиями. Однако сравнительное изучение действия влияния новых удобрений и методов их применения очень ограничено. В связи с этим, исследования направленные на выявление эффективности использования удобрений пролонгированного действия при производстве посадочного материала земляники садовой в условиях защищенного грунта являются актуальными.Методы. Адаптированные к нестерильным условиям оздоровленные еx vitro растения земляники садовой высаживали в торфяной субстрат компании ООО Велторф (рецепт № 5с/2) с добавлением стартового удобрения Pg mix со структурой NPK 14-16- 18 – микроэлементы (1,5 г/л субстрата). При этом в состав субстрата вводили удобрения пролонгированного действия в рекомендованных концентрациях FertiPro Gran 1М (1,25 г/л субстрата), Ruscote 5-6М (3,0 г/л субстрата), Basacote Plus 6М (4,0 г/л субстрата), контроль торфяной субстрат без удобрений, эталон PG mix.Результаты. Установлено, что для сорта Karmen со средней усообразовательной способностью выявлена эффективность внесения в субстрат удобрения FertiPro Gran 1М, при применении которого на 180 сутки выращивания в 3,5-3,8 раз увеличивается количество усов и розеток по сравнению с контролем и при этом выход товарной рассады составляет 95 % по сравнению с 70% в контроле. Для сорта Jūnija smaids с высокой усообразовательной способностью выявлена эффективность всех опытных вариантов с внесением в субстрат удобрений FertiPro Gran 1М, Ruscote и Basacote Plus при применении которых на 180 сутки выращивания в 1,9-2,5 раза увеличивается количество усов и розеток по сравнению с контролем и при этом выход товарной рассады составляет 94-96% по сравнению с 65% в контроле.Заключение. Внесение удобрений пролонгированного действия FertiPro Gran, Ruscote и Basacote Plus в торфяной субстрат с добавлением стартового удобрения Pg mix позволило 2,3-3,8 раз увеличить количество полученных усов и в 1,9- 3,5 раз полученных розеток по сравнению с контролем без удобрений.