Abstract
Purpose: Lower extremity strength is crucial for the sport of gymnastics. Female gymnasts require explosive strength, quick speed, and flexibility for high competition performances. Lower limb muscular function is used to monitor fitness during preseason training to prepare athletes for in-season competitions1. The primary focus is when the gymnasts are in the propulsive phase of a countermovement jump represented as phase 4 in Figure 2. The propulsive phase is the moment when an athlete propels themselves upwards into the air, creating an explosive jump4. This motion measures force production and force transfer efficiency. The purpose of this study was to examine lower extremity strength of women gymnasts during eight weeks of preseason training. Methods: Eighteen NCAA Division III women’s gymnasts (age 19.44±1.2 years, height 163±4.55 cm, body mass 62.2±4.73 kg) tested twice weekly for eight weeks. Each test session included three countermovement jumps with hands on hips with feet shoulder width apart. Two portable force platforms (Hawkin, sample rate: 1000 Hz) were used to collect vertical ground reaction forces (GRF). The kinetic output of Peak Relative Propulsive Force (PRPF) and kinematic outputs of Time to Takeoff (TTT) and Takeoff Velocity (TV) were identified for analysis. Each dependent variable (PRPF, TTT, TV) was analyzed using a 1 x 8 (week) repeated measures ANOVA (p=0.05). Results: Each dependent variable was influenced by Week 1 (PRPF p<0.01; TTT p<0.01; TV p<0.01). Data for each week are presented in Table 2 with paired t-test results in Table 3. Conclusion:The key metric observed in this study was time to takeoff shown in Table 3 with p-values <0.05. This is a positive indicator of greater explosive power and neuromuscular efficiency. Faster time to takeoff allows for a more efficient use of force during a jump.
Practical Application: Use of CMJ to monitor explosive training responses during preseason training supports the effectiveness of monitoring adaptive changes.
College
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Campus
Winona
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada and Winona, Minnesota
Start Date
4-24-2025 12:00 AM
End Date
4-24-2025 12:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Included in
Preseason Changes in Peak Relative Propulsive Force, Takeoff Velocity, and Time to Takeoff in Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics
Las Vegas, Nevada and Winona, Minnesota
Purpose: Lower extremity strength is crucial for the sport of gymnastics. Female gymnasts require explosive strength, quick speed, and flexibility for high competition performances. Lower limb muscular function is used to monitor fitness during preseason training to prepare athletes for in-season competitions1. The primary focus is when the gymnasts are in the propulsive phase of a countermovement jump represented as phase 4 in Figure 2. The propulsive phase is the moment when an athlete propels themselves upwards into the air, creating an explosive jump4. This motion measures force production and force transfer efficiency. The purpose of this study was to examine lower extremity strength of women gymnasts during eight weeks of preseason training. Methods: Eighteen NCAA Division III women’s gymnasts (age 19.44±1.2 years, height 163±4.55 cm, body mass 62.2±4.73 kg) tested twice weekly for eight weeks. Each test session included three countermovement jumps with hands on hips with feet shoulder width apart. Two portable force platforms (Hawkin, sample rate: 1000 Hz) were used to collect vertical ground reaction forces (GRF). The kinetic output of Peak Relative Propulsive Force (PRPF) and kinematic outputs of Time to Takeoff (TTT) and Takeoff Velocity (TV) were identified for analysis. Each dependent variable (PRPF, TTT, TV) was analyzed using a 1 x 8 (week) repeated measures ANOVA (p=0.05). Results: Each dependent variable was influenced by Week 1 (PRPF p<0.01; TTT p<0.01; TV p<0.01). Data for each week are presented in Table 2 with paired t-test results in Table 3. Conclusion:The key metric observed in this study was time to takeoff shown in Table 3 with p-values <0.05. This is a positive indicator of greater explosive power and neuromuscular efficiency. Faster time to takeoff allows for a more efficient use of force during a jump.
Practical Application: Use of CMJ to monitor explosive training responses during preseason training supports the effectiveness of monitoring adaptive changes.
