A comparison of economy and sagittal plane trunk movements among back-, back/front- and head-loading.

It has been suggested that freedom of movement in the trunk could influence load carriage economy. This study aimed to compare the economy and sagittal plane trunk movements associated with three load carriage methods that constrain posture differently. Eighteen females walked at 3 km.h-1 with loads of 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 20 kg carried on the back, back/front and head. Load carriage economy was assessed using the Extra Load Index (ELI). Change in sagittal plane trunk forward lean and trunk angle excursion from unloaded to loaded walking were assessed. Results show no difference in economy between methods (p = 0.483), despite differences in the change in trunk forward lean (p = 0.001) and trunk angle excursion (p = 0.021) from unloaded to loaded walking. We conclude that economy is not different among the three methods of load carriage, despite significant differences in sagittal plane trunk movements

Inter-individual variability in load carriage economy and comparisons between different load conditions.

Equivocal findings exist for the economy associated with load carried close to the body's centre of mass. Individual variation could explain some of the equivocal findings. This research aimed to examine the extent of individual variation in loaded walking economy. Eighteen females carried load on the back, head and split between the front and back. Individual variation in relative load carriage economy (ELI) was primarily assessed using standard deviation, coefficients of variation (CV) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). There was large inter-individual variation in ELI values with highest mean CV's of 16%, 12% and 10% for head-, back- and combined front and back-loading. Mean ELI values were not significantly different between methods. The large amount of individual variation found here suggests future load carriage research should account for individual variation, particularly when considering sample size and when making inferences on the economy associated with different types of load carriage using group mean data

An analysis of the performance of Black African junior provincial cricket batsmen

SAJSM vol 23 No. 3 2011Objectives. This study investigated the difference in performance of white (W), coloured/Indian (C/I) and black African (BA) cricket batsmen at a junior provincial level in South Africa over a period of 7 years. Methods. Data of all players participating in the South African interprovincial under-15 (U15) and under-19 (U19) tournaments between the years 2004 and 2010 were analysed. The number of participants, batting averages and number of batsmen in the top 20 run scorers in the tournament were compared between groups. Results. 52% of players were white and 48% were black (27% BA and 21% C/I). BA batting averages (runs/dismissal) were significantly (p<0.05) lower than W batting averages for every year from 2004 to 2010 for both the U15 and U19s. W batsmen only had significantly better batting averages than C/I for the U/15s in 2010 and for the U19s in 2009 and 2010. W batsmen dominated the top 20 run scorers in the tournament in each year for both U15s and U19s while there were few BA batsmen represented in the top 20. Conclusion. The performances of BA batsmen at junior provincial level are well below those of W batsmen and appear to follow the same trend as the senior provincial batsmen

Locomotor training as part of a rehabilitation programme for patients with spinal cord injury: a case study

Locomotor training for patients with spinal cord injuries has been investigated in the USA and Europe.2,9 It is a relatively new form of rehabilitation in South Africa and to our knowledge no studies have been reported on its use in this country. This is a case study of a 24-year-old male diagnosed on 8 September 2006 with a C6 motor complete but sensory incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI)...

The cricket bowling performance of different racial groups at a junior provincial level in South Africa

Objective. To investigate the difference in performance and bowling opportunity of black African (BA), coloured/Indian (C/I) and white (W) cricket bowlers at a junior provincial level in South Africa between 2006 and 2012. Methods. Data of all players performing in the South African interprovincial under-13 (U13), under-15 (U15) and under-19 (U19) tournaments were analysed. Bowling performance (bowling average and the top 20 wicket takers relative to their par representation) and bowling opportunity (number of overs bowled) were compared between racial groups. Results. There were no significant differences in the bowling averages between BA bowlers and the other racial groups between 2008 and 2012. BA bowling averages were only significantly worse than W bowlers in the U13s in 2006 and U19s in 2007. BA bowling averages were also only significantly worse than C/I in the U13s and U15s in 2007. BA bowlers were below par representation in the top 20 wicket takers in each year for the U15s and U19s and below par representation for the U13s in 2007 - 2009 and 2011. The performance of C/I and W bowlers was relatively similar across the age groups. BA players bowled significantly fewer overs than W bowlers in the U13s in 2006, in the U15s in 2007 and 2009 and in the U19s in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011. C/I bowlers bowled significantly fewer overs than W bowlers in the U13s in 2008 and 2009. Conclusion. The bowling averages of the different racial groups are similar. However, there were relatively few BA bowlers in the top 20 wicket takers each year. This could be because of a lack of highly skilled BA bowlers or the lack of opportunity provided to BA bowlers to bowl in these tournaments