This blog is about the optimum posture during acceleration and braking
The acceleration phase:
Acceleration from a standing or moving position is essential in sport. A key to acceleration when running forwards is the triple extension in the joints (triple extension), which is characterised by a coordinated and powerful extension of the ankle, knee and hip (2).
Force application:
Newton's third law of motion states, "for every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force" - applies: the more ground reaction forces the athlete can generate in the limited time their foot touches the ground, the faster they should be able to move their body in the desired direction.
This powerful chain enables the athlete to move their body forwards explosively and generate high ground reaction forces (GRF).
Example: Action-reaction of the sprinter from the starting block:
The sprinter's feet exert a force backwards on the starting block (action).𝐹 —> starting block k
The reaction of the starting block sets the runner in motion. The starting block would actually move in the opposite direction, but does not do so visibly as it is (relatively) firmly attached to the ground. So although a force acts on the starting block and the earth, the mass of the starting block and the earth is so great that the acceleration is backwards.
A = F / M
F Force - force is measured in Newtons.
N M= Mass is measured in kilograms, kg.
A = Acceleration is measured in metres per second squared, m/s2.
The same principle applies to kicking off on the ground and for training with changes of direction (COD) or lateral movements.
The braking phase:
Successful slowing down and stopping in sport/games enables athletes to initiate a change of speed.
For example, to change direction or come to a standstill.
The key to decelerating the body in order to optimise speed reduction lies in a triple flexion position, reciprocal to acceleration.
This position is characterised by flexion of the ankles, knees and hips. The greater the braking force the athlete can generate, the faster they can reduce their body speed in order to stop, reposition themselves or prepare for the next movement.
The faster the movement, the greater the braking force.
Body posture
During acceleration, the athlete's centre of gravity should be in front of the standing surface (i.e. the feet). This allows an optimal body position for the generation of GRF to increase horizontal propulsion. In this position, the coach should be able to draw an imaginary line that intersects the ears and passes through the torso, hip, knee and ankle of the supporting leg. At this point, just before the foot touches the ground, the athlete's knee is fully extended. The athlete's head should be in line with the torso and the torso in line with the legs during the linear acceleration movement.
"Triple extension" - triple extension ankle - knee - hip
When slowing down or braking, the forward lean that occurs when accelerating is not visible. This is because the upper body has to adopt a more upright posture than the lower body and leans more backwards when braking to reduce body momentum. This shifts the centre of gravity of the upper body back towards the base of the support. This allows the lower body to adopt a better position in order to slow down the horizontal movement generated during acceleration.
Arm movement
The athlete should be instructed to keep their arms bent at around 90 degrees when accelerating. Optimising the backward swing of the arms promotes the stretch reflex and provides a large part of the power required to propel the body. The arms should not cross the centre line of the body at the front in order to counteract the rotational forces of the lower extremities.
As a general rule, the longer the athlete's stride length, the greater the arm swing, as arm and leg speed are interdependent. In other words: the greater the arm swing, the greater the stride length (and vice versa). The ideal stride length and therefore also the optimum arm swing at maximum stride frequency determines the speed.
During deceleration, the arms continue to move mainly in the sagittal plane (they swing back and forth). The range of motion in the shoulder and the amplitude of the arm swing are reduced as soon as shorter steps are used to decelerate the body or to prepare for a change of direction. In the sideways movement or in the athletic position, the arms should be at the side of the body.
Leg action
Acceleration
As mentioned earlier, explosive jumps require synchronised extension of the hip, knee and ankle to produce GRFs. During acceleration drills, athletes should be instructed to keep the ankle in a dorsiflexed position and perform a "punch and drive" action (knee extension with explosive ground contact). During the push-off, the athlete's weight should be on the ball of the foot. This minimises the braking forces and maximises the propulsive force. The angle of the athlete's shins to the ground is acute at the start (less than 90 degrees) and increases slightly with each step. During acceleration, the stride length is initially short; the more the athlete accelerates, the longer the stride becomes. The ground contact time is greatest during the first stride and decreases as the stride length increases. Similarly, the stride frequency starts slowly due to the initially longer ground contact time required to overcome the inertia and increases with each stride. The aim is to reach the maximum stride frequency in the shortest possible time.
Braking movement
The opposite is true for braking:
The athlete's weight should be shifted to the heel when the foot touches down in order to reduce the propulsive force and maximise the braking force. The angle between the athlete's shins and the ground is initially greater than 90 degrees and becomes slightly smaller with each step. The time of ground contact increases as the athlete attempts to slow down and prepares to assume a preparatory position or transition to another movement, such as a crossover, sideways step or backwards movement.
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