Purpose This cross-sectional study investigated dynamic force-time variables and vaulting performance in young female gymnasts of different maturity status.Methods 120 gymnasts aged 5-14 years were sub-divided into ma...Purpose This cross-sectional study investigated dynamic force-time variables and vaulting performance in young female gymnasts of different maturity status.Methods 120 gymnasts aged 5-14 years were sub-divided into maturity groupings using percent of predicted adult height(%PAH)attained.Participants performed three jumping protocols,the squat jump(SJ),countermovement jump(CMJ)and drop jump(DJ),before completing straight jump vaults that were recorded using two-dimensional video.Results Jumping performance improved with biological maturity evidenced by the most mature gymnasts’producing sig-nificantly more absolute force(P<0.05;all d>0.78),impulse(P<0.05;all d>0.75)and power(P<0.05;all d>0.91)than the least mature group,resulting in the greater jump heights(P<0.05;all d>0.70).While,no significant differences were observed in relative peak force across multiple tests,measures of relative peak power did significantly increase with maturity.Based upon regression analyses,maturation was found to influence vertical take-off velocity during vaulting,explaining 41%of the variance in each jumping protocol.Across all tests,the DJ was found to have the highest predictive ability of vaulting vertical take-off velocity,explaining 55%of the total variance.Conclusion Biological maturation impacts jump height and underpinning mechanical variables in young female gymnasts.Vaulting vertical take-off velocity appears to be influenced by maturation and various dynamic force-time variables,par-ticularly those during DJ,which had the highest explained total variance.展开更多
文摘Purpose This cross-sectional study investigated dynamic force-time variables and vaulting performance in young female gymnasts of different maturity status.Methods 120 gymnasts aged 5-14 years were sub-divided into maturity groupings using percent of predicted adult height(%PAH)attained.Participants performed three jumping protocols,the squat jump(SJ),countermovement jump(CMJ)and drop jump(DJ),before completing straight jump vaults that were recorded using two-dimensional video.Results Jumping performance improved with biological maturity evidenced by the most mature gymnasts’producing sig-nificantly more absolute force(P<0.05;all d>0.78),impulse(P<0.05;all d>0.75)and power(P<0.05;all d>0.91)than the least mature group,resulting in the greater jump heights(P<0.05;all d>0.70).While,no significant differences were observed in relative peak force across multiple tests,measures of relative peak power did significantly increase with maturity.Based upon regression analyses,maturation was found to influence vertical take-off velocity during vaulting,explaining 41%of the variance in each jumping protocol.Across all tests,the DJ was found to have the highest predictive ability of vaulting vertical take-off velocity,explaining 55%of the total variance.Conclusion Biological maturation impacts jump height and underpinning mechanical variables in young female gymnasts.Vaulting vertical take-off velocity appears to be influenced by maturation and various dynamic force-time variables,par-ticularly those during DJ,which had the highest explained total variance.
