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Mechanical parameters as predictors of performance in alpine World Cup slalom racing
Author(s) -
Supej M.,
Kipp R.,
Holmberg H.C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01159.x
Subject(s) - alpine skiing , ground reaction force , mathematics , physics , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , kinematics , classical mechanics
The aims of the present study were to develop a method for classifying slalom skiing performance and to examine differences in mechanical parameters. Eighteen elite skiers were recorded with three‐dimensional kinematical measurements and thereafter divided into a higher (HP) and lower performance group, using the ratio between the difference in mechanical energy divided by the mass of the skier and section entrance velocity (Δ e mech / v in ). Moreover, the skiers' velocity ( v ), acceleration ( a ), center of mass turn radii ( R CM ) and skis' turn radii ( R AMS ), ground reaction forces (GRF) and differential specific mechanical energy [diff( e mech )] were calculated. v and diff( e mech ) were different between the performance groups ( P <0.001 and <0.05), while no inter‐group differences in R CM , R AMS , a and GRF were observed. A relationship between R AMS and diff( e mech ) was demonstrated ( r =0.58; P <0.001). The highest GRFs were related to the lowest diff( e mech ) and a was related to GRF ( r =−0.60; P <0.001). The Δ e mech / v in predicted the performance over short course sections. The HP skiers skied with a higher v and a similar range of diff( e mech ). We suggest that shortest R AMS and the highest GRFs should be reduced in elite slalom in order to increase performance.