THE EFFECTS OF SEAT POST ANGLE IN CYCLING PERFORMANCE

Triathlon involves three different modes of endurance events, swim, bike and run, consecutively. Transitions between events are critical to be successful in the sport; however, many triathletes report impaired running performance due to adverse residual effects from cycling. One of the strategies that triathletes use to manage the adverse effects is to use a bicycle with a more vertical seat post angle. There is limited evidence that support the effectiveness of such bicycle geometry, but many of these studies lacks ecological validity. Twelve triathletes and cyclists completed a 20-km simulated course with instrumentations for 3D motion, kinetic, and electromyographic analyses under two different seat post angle settings: shallow (ROAD) and steep (TRI). Series of paired-t tests were used for statistical analysis. Results indicated cycling mechanics between two seat post angle conditions were similar; however, the steep condition resulted in time-delay in muscle activation and pedal force application. There was no significant difference in cycling performance. The athletes were able to retain relatively consistent pedaling techniques with modification of seat post angle

GAIT KINEMATICS AND VARIABILITY DURING NORMAL AND UNWEIGHTED TREADMILL RUNNING

The biomechanics of running in unusual environments has received little attention. Hence the aim was to compare normal to unweighted at 40% of bodyweight treadmill running. Kinematic data were recorded for six participants running at 3.35 m/s. The stride frequency during unweighted was less than normal treadmill running (67 ± 10 v 83 ± 5 strides/min; p = 0.03). Particularly during the stance phase, participants demonstrated less knee flexion-extension and ankle dorsi-plantar flexion angular motion. Participants also demonstrated greater within- and between-participant variability during unweighted than normal treadmill running (e.g. left knee angle SD of 1.7 ± 0.2° v 3.1 ± 2.1°; p = 0.03). Unweighted treadmill running produces gait kinematics with less movement and with greater variability, which may have implications for training and rehabilitative uses

運動会における表現遊びの実践 ―身体表現遊び「あした 天気にな～れ」の構成内容の検討―

It is the most important for little children that using their whole bodies，they imitate something and express freely their selves with various kinds of rhythm. We continue to create works of body expression and introduce those to teachers in a nursery school or a kindergarten. So we should know how they put the work into practice and consider what factors give little children good effects through enjoying body expression. We give a concrete example for discussion. We created a work,“Wish fine day tomorrow”，for which we got the idea from daily children lives. Little 62 children，four years old，could be enjoying our work in the athletic festival of their kindergarten. We could see，by cooperation of the kindergarten，how they performed it as their own expressions and what influences they could have in their daily lives after their experiences. Then，we consider teaching materials of body expression and how to teach them