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Jump height from inertial recordings: A tutorial for a sports scientist
Author(s) -
Rantalainen Timo,
Finni Taija,
Walker Simon
Publication year - 2020
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/sms.13546
Subject(s) - jump , inertial measurement unit , jumping , vertical jump , step detection , mathematics , physical medicine and rehabilitation , computer science , medicine , artificial intelligence , physics , telecommunications , physiology , quantum mechanics , global positioning system
Jump performance provides meaningful information both for sporting and clinical needs. Current state of the art in jump performance assessment is laboratory‐bound; however, out‐of‐the‐laboratory methods are desirable. Therefore, the purposes of the present investigation were (a) to explore whether utilizing a novel analytical approach minimizes the bias between inertial recording unit (IMU)‐based and jump mat‐based jump height estimates and (b) to provide a thorough tutorial for a sport scientist (see Appendix S1) to facilitate standardization of jump height estimation. Forty‐one women, men, and boys aged 6 to 77 years completed three maximal countermovement jumps without arm swing, which were concurrently registered with a jump mat, and an IMU worn in low lumbar region. Excellent agreement between the novel IMU‐based jump height and jump mat jump height was observed (mean IMU 22.6 [8.3] cm, mean jump mat 22.7 [8.9], mean bias −0.1 cm [95% limits of agreement −4.5 cm to 4.4 cm; P = .826], and intra‐class correlation coefficient 0.97 [95% CI 0.94 to 0.98, P < .001]). In conclusion, inertial recordings conducted with lightweight IMUs worn on the hip provide a valid and feasible assessment of jump height among people with varying athletic ability. Inertial signals have the potential to afford (at least semi‐) automated analysis pipeline with low labor cost thus being potentially feasible in applied settings such as in professional sports or in the clinics.