title: Reliability and variability of day-to-day vault training measures in artistic gymnastics.
abstract: Inter-day training reliability and variability in artistic gymnastics vaulting was determined using a customised infra-red timing gate and contact mat timing system. Thirteen Australian high performance gymnasts (eight males and five females) aged 11-23 years were assessed during two consecutive days of normal training. Each gymnast completed a number of vault repetitions per daily session. Inter-day variability of vault run-up velocities (at -18 to -12 m, -12 to -6 m, -6 to -2 m, and -2 to 0 m from the nearest edge of the beat board), and board contact, pre-flight, and table contact times were determined using mixed modelling statistics to account for random (within-subject variability) and fixed effects (gender, number of subjects, number of trials). The difference in the mean (Mdiff) and Cohen's effect sizes for reliability assessment and intra-class correlation coefficients, and the coefficient of variation percentage (CV%) were calculated for variability assessment. Approach velocity (-18 to -2m, CV = 2.4-7.8%) and board contact time (CV = 3.5%) were less variable measures when accounting for day-to-day performance differences, than pre-flight time (CV = 17.7%) and table contact time (CV = 20.5%). While pre-flight and table contact times are relevant training measures, approach velocity and board contact time are more reliable when quantifying vaulting performance.
authors.affiliation: School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia. elizabeth.bradshaw@acu.edu.au
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Patria
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hume
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calton
authors.forename: Brad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aisbett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006173:Gymnastics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult