BIOMECHANICS AND ELITE COMPETITIVE SWIMMING

An emphasis on servicing as opposed to research in the biomechanical support of an elite swim programme results in a quicker improvement of performance. Biomechanics brings to the coach of elite athletes objectivity and quantification with advice from a biomechanical and technical perspective. One important aspect of servicing an elite swimming programme is the development of biomechanical testing systems in which the timeliness of feedback and better accuracy is of paramount importance. Competition analysis provides much relevant information to elite swimming and it also affects a large number of athletes. Once problems are disclosed through competition analysis they need to be addressed in a training environment using biomechanical systems to assist the coach. Biomechanics systems are now available to assist the coach with start, tum, relay change and free swim analysis. Other scientific areas that are being used to advance performance in swimming include active drag, computer modelling and computational fluid dynamics. The A.I.S. is developing a new technology pool which will contain most of this technology and is to be completed by February 2006

EVALUATION and FEEDBACK IN SWIMMING: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

The purpose of this paper was to identify how various swimming service providers from around the world were able to provide evaluation and feedback to swimmers since the early 1970’s. It was clear that probably the one particular area that existed through from the 1970’s until today was the measurement of active drag and the propulsion generated by the swimmer. The analysis of starts also played a role throughout the entire period. It was not until the late 2000’s that the technology was able to provide the tools to produce really comprehensive, immediate feedback analysis of performance

PROVIDING A SERVICE TO AN ELITE NATIONAL SPORTS PROGRAMME

How well is Sports Biomechanics able to advance elite athletic performance at the national sporting level? Individual sports that involve a high technical skill level and that are repetitive are most suited to biomechanical support. An emphasis on servicing as opposed to research in the biomechanical support of a national sporting body tends to provide the better results in elevating elite performance. Biomechanics brings to the coach of elite athletes objectivity and quantification with advice from a biomechanical and technical perspective. One important aspect of servicing an elite national sporting body is the development of biomechanical testing systems in which the timeliness of feedback is of paramount importance. To be most effective there are certain ingredients that make for the ideal biomechanical testing system for servicing the elite arm of a sport. An example of such a system developed for elite swimming performance is provided. To be an effective sport biomechanist there is a need for specialisation in sport. Many other factors affect the success of a biomechanics programme apart from the science involved. Competition analysis provides much relevant information to elite sport and it also affects a large number of athletes. Once problems are disclosed through competition analysis they need to be addressed in a training environment using biomechanical systems to assist the coach

Estimating the Value of Medal Success at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games

We estimate Canadians’ willingness to pay (WTP) for success by Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Canadian government subsidized elite athletes in the run up to the 2010 Games through the Own the Podium program, which was designed to increase Canada’s medal count. WTP estimates from a contingent valuation method (CVM) study using data from nationally representative surveys before and after the Games suggest that Own the Podium generated intangible benefits of between 3 and 5 times its cost. The aggregate value of the intangible benefits generated by the program was between $719 million and$3.4 billion. Key Words: Olympic Games, contingent valuation method, willingness to pay

CHARACTERISTICSOF ELITE SWIM TURNPERFORMANCES

It is generally undisputed that the turn is of paramount importance in distance and middle distance competitive swimming. Accordingly, there is a need to identifythe value of those parameters in the turn that are typical of international elite performance. This will be of vital importance in coaching, to assist swimmers to improve their performance in this aspect of competition. Using the Wetplate analysis system, many elite international swimmers were analysed performing a turn. Selected parameters for elite freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke swimming in both genders, that represented the superior turners in each group, were analysed to identify a value for these parameters. A Pearson product moment correlation statistic was also performed on the data to identify those parameters that were of most significant interest in performance enhancement

CHARACTERISTICS OF ELITE SWIM START PERFORMANCES

It is generally undisputed that the start is of paramount importance in elite competitive sprint swimming. Accordingly, there is a need to identify the value of those parameters at the start that are typical of international elite performance. This will enable coaches and skill technicians to assist sprint swimmers to improve their performance in this aspect of competition. Using the Wetplate analysis system many elite international swimmers were analysed performing a start. Selected parameters for five elite freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke swimmers for both genders, that represented the best starters in each group, was used to identify the value of these parameters. Even if the coach does not work with sophisticated analysis systems, the information supplied in this paper is of vital importance to identify possible inefficiencies in swim start performance

INVESTIGATION OF COACH RATINGS OF TECHNIQUE AND FORCE-TIME PROFILES IN ELITE MALE FRONT CRAWL SPRINT SWIMMERS

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between assisted towing method (ATM) force-time profiles and coach ratings of front crawl technique. Nine elite male swimmers completed the ATM sprint swimming protocol to obtain active drag and propulsion values. Six coaches each rated overall technique from video footage and technique at each of four stroke events (entry, pull, push, and exit) from images captured throughout the ATM trials. Mean coach technique rating scores were then correlated against four performance measures (FINA point score, 100 m performance best time, active drag value and propulsion value). Results demonstrated weak to strong relationships between the ratings and performance variables for each stroke event

Engineering a catabolic pathway in plants for the degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane

Plants are increasingly being employed to clean up environmental pollutants such as heavy metals; however, a major limitation of phytoremediation is the inability of plants to mineralize most organic pollutants. A key component of organic pollutants is halogenated aliphatic compounds that include 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA). Although plants lack the enzymatic activity required to metabolize this compound, two bacterial enzymes, haloalkane dehalogenase (DhlA) and haloacid dehalogenase (DhlB) from the bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10, have the ability to dehalogenate a range of halogenated aliphatics, including 1,2-DCA. We have engineered the dhlA and dhlB genes into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum ‘Xanthi’) plants and used 1,2-DCA as a model substrate to demonstrate the ability of the transgenic tobacco to remediate a range of halogenated, aliphatic hydrocarbons. DhlA converts 1,2-DCA to 2-chloroethanol, which is then metabolized to the phytotoxic 2-chloroacetaldehyde, then chloroacetic acid, by endogenous plant alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activities, respectively. Chloroacetic acid is dehalogenated by DhlB to produce the glyoxylate cycle intermediate glycolate. Plants expressing only DhlA produced phytotoxic levels of chlorinated intermediates and died, while plants expressing DhlA together with DhlB thrived at levels of 1,2-DCA that were toxic to DhlA-expressing plants. This represents a significant advance in the development of a low-cost phytoremediation approach toward the clean-up of halogenated organic pollutants from contaminated soil and groundwater

INVESTIGATION OF ATM PROPULSION FORCE-TIME PROFILES USING FUNCTIONAL DATA ANALYSIS ON FRONT CRAWL SPRINT SWIMMERS

The purpose of this investigation was to assess whether characteristics of the Assisted Towing Method (ATM) propulsive force-time profiles can discriminate between elite and sub-elite male sprint swimmers. Eleven elite and seven sub-elite sprint front crawl swimmers completed the ATM protocol to capture propulsion force-time profiles. The second full stroke cycle taken from the median propulsion trial on both the right and left arms were selected and functional data analysis was used to process the trials. Functional principal components analysis (fPCA) results revealed a statistical difference between the elite and sub-elite groups (p > 0.000). Further, within the elite group profiles, a distinctive double peak was found. The double peak profile could suggest a more efficient and effective stroking ratio of active drag and propulsion within the elite group

PLIN5 deletion remodels intracellular lipid composition and causes insulin resistance in muscle

Defective control of lipid metabolism leading to lipotoxicity causes insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, a major factor leading to diabetes. Here, we demonstrate that perilipin (PLIN) 5 is required to couple intramyocellular triacylglycerol lipolysis with the metabolic demand for fatty acids. PLIN5 ablation depleted triacylglycerol stores but increased sphingolipids including ceramide, hydroxylceramides and sphingomyelin. We generated perilipin 5 (Plin5)-/- mice to determine the functional significance of PLIN5 in metabolic control and insulin action. Loss of PLIN5 had no effect on body weight, feeding or adiposity but increased whole-body carbohydrate oxidation. Plin5-/- mice developed skeletal muscle insulin resistance, which was associated with ceramide accumulation. Liver insulin sensitivity was improved in Plin5-/- mice, indicating tissue-specific effects of PLIN5 on insulin action. We conclude that PLIN5 plays a critical role in coordinating skeletal muscle triacylglycerol metabolism, which impacts sphingolipid metabolism, and is requisite for the maintenance of skeletal muscle insulin action. © 2014 The Authors