Authors' Names

Zebadiah P. BoosFollow

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Category

STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)

Abstract/Artist Statement

Purpose: The goal of the research was to determine if Jump Height (JH) and Landing Impact (LI) were significantly different between countermovement jump (CMJ), drop vertical jump (DVJ), and approach jump (AJ).

Methods: For this study, collegiate female volleyball athletes (n = 16, 19 ± 1 years old, range of 18-22 years old, 1.76 ± 0.17 m, 75.5 ± 8.2 kg, 8 ± 2 years of organized volleyball experience) were asked to perform a drop vertical jump DVJ, CMJ, and approach AJ while wearing an inertial measurement unit (VERT Inc.) to capture JH and LI. No player position (outside hitters n=6, middle blockers n=5, liberos =3, setters =2) were excluded. JH was calculated within VERT software, while LI was recorded as the peak accelerations at or following the timestamp of the paired JH. All jumping tasks were counterbalanced by randomizing order and completed in a single session. Two one-way repeated measure ANOVAs (α = 0.05) were used to identify differences between DVJ, CMJ, and AJ, for JH and LI, with additional insights from percent difference and effect size calculations. JH and LI were significantly different (p ≤ 0.005) between all conditions, except LI between DVJ and CMJ (p = 0.918). Large effect sizes were noted for JH and LI between sport-specific (AJ) and functional (CMJ and DVJ) jumping tasks. The three-step approach resulted in greater LI, as well as a larger effect size and 16-28% greater JH.

Originality: Jump landing mechanics (e.g., rapid decelerations, quick counter-movements, and shifts in center of mass) occur frequently in a wide variety of these sports and have been associated with lower extremity injuries. Volleyball in particular, whether in training or competition, requires a large number of jumps (e.g. spike, block, set, and serve) and subsequent landings. These jumps result in neuromuscular fatigue of the lower extremities. As exhaustion sets in from repetitive jumping, performance and injury risk begin to form an inverse relationship, with performance decreasing and injury risk increasing. These insufficiencies can be analyzed through the use of either force plates, inertial measurement units, or three dimensional motion capture. In the case of this research, VERT sensors were chosen.

Significance: Quantifying the differences in performance and the external load presented by these jumping tasks may be valuable in athlete monitoring, particularly in injury prevention and athlete readiness. Monitoring these factors, given the dynamic nature of volleyball, can present difficulties in the sport, whether in practice or in a game situation. The application of VERT sensors in volleyball and other court sports presents a new ability to continue this quantification and to analyze athletes both in practice and in a game situation. The use of these wearable sensors could be applied in practice or training where other more traditional measures could not be. The real-time feedback with this technology can allow coaches and support staff to make rapid decisions in the players best interest or in a training situation, to adjust the workload accordingly.

Mentor Name

Shane Murphy

Personal Statement

This study presents an opportunity for assisting athletes and athletic support staff in preventing injury and maintaining performance. With further research and application of technology, this research could help develop better methods of monitoring athletes during both practice and competition scenarios. Given that this technology provides real time feedback, assistant coaches or athletic trainers could be constantly and consistently determining if an athlete is safe to perform the required tasks at hand. This work should be considered "Best of GradCon" because not only is the work applicable to our at-risk athletic population who perform at intense levels of competition, but also for a general population who are unfamiliar with the onset of fatigue and the damage done when exercising on fatigued limbs. By being able to monitor workload and impact forces sustained during training, athletic groups, particularly those with lower-limb dominant activities could be more prepared and better equipped to train with minimal injury risk. Although this study focused only on volleyball athletes, the application of this kind of wearable technology can be administered amongst almost any sport that experiences hard impacts on the lower limbs. Previous research has shown that there is a negative correlation with repetive landing impacts resulting in neuromuscular fatigue and landing mechanics. As landing mechanics decrease in quality, the risk of injury exponentially increases. This type of neuromuscular fatigue can not normally be detected proprioceptively by an athlete who is familiar or comfortable with fatigue. However, with these sensors, athletic support staff monitoring the feedback from the sensors can observe the progression of more dangerous landing impacts as they occur. Therefore, in light of the nature of this competition, it is our hope that the committee considers this work as both highly significant and original for the general and athletic exercising populations.

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Mar 4th, 5:00 PM Mar 4th, 6:00 PM

Utilizing Vertical Sensors In Collegiate Volleyball Landing Impact Force And Jump Height Analysis

UC North Ballroom

Purpose: The goal of the research was to determine if Jump Height (JH) and Landing Impact (LI) were significantly different between countermovement jump (CMJ), drop vertical jump (DVJ), and approach jump (AJ).

Methods: For this study, collegiate female volleyball athletes (n = 16, 19 ± 1 years old, range of 18-22 years old, 1.76 ± 0.17 m, 75.5 ± 8.2 kg, 8 ± 2 years of organized volleyball experience) were asked to perform a drop vertical jump DVJ, CMJ, and approach AJ while wearing an inertial measurement unit (VERT Inc.) to capture JH and LI. No player position (outside hitters n=6, middle blockers n=5, liberos =3, setters =2) were excluded. JH was calculated within VERT software, while LI was recorded as the peak accelerations at or following the timestamp of the paired JH. All jumping tasks were counterbalanced by randomizing order and completed in a single session. Two one-way repeated measure ANOVAs (α = 0.05) were used to identify differences between DVJ, CMJ, and AJ, for JH and LI, with additional insights from percent difference and effect size calculations. JH and LI were significantly different (p ≤ 0.005) between all conditions, except LI between DVJ and CMJ (p = 0.918). Large effect sizes were noted for JH and LI between sport-specific (AJ) and functional (CMJ and DVJ) jumping tasks. The three-step approach resulted in greater LI, as well as a larger effect size and 16-28% greater JH.

Originality: Jump landing mechanics (e.g., rapid decelerations, quick counter-movements, and shifts in center of mass) occur frequently in a wide variety of these sports and have been associated with lower extremity injuries. Volleyball in particular, whether in training or competition, requires a large number of jumps (e.g. spike, block, set, and serve) and subsequent landings. These jumps result in neuromuscular fatigue of the lower extremities. As exhaustion sets in from repetitive jumping, performance and injury risk begin to form an inverse relationship, with performance decreasing and injury risk increasing. These insufficiencies can be analyzed through the use of either force plates, inertial measurement units, or three dimensional motion capture. In the case of this research, VERT sensors were chosen.

Significance: Quantifying the differences in performance and the external load presented by these jumping tasks may be valuable in athlete monitoring, particularly in injury prevention and athlete readiness. Monitoring these factors, given the dynamic nature of volleyball, can present difficulties in the sport, whether in practice or in a game situation. The application of VERT sensors in volleyball and other court sports presents a new ability to continue this quantification and to analyze athletes both in practice and in a game situation. The use of these wearable sensors could be applied in practice or training where other more traditional measures could not be. The real-time feedback with this technology can allow coaches and support staff to make rapid decisions in the players best interest or in a training situation, to adjust the workload accordingly.