title: Step characteristic interaction and asymmetry during the approach phase in long jump.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the relative influence of step length (SL) and step frequency (SF) on step velocity (SV) during the approach run of high-level long jumpers and to quantify the asymmetry of these step characteristics. Spatiotemporal data of the approach run were collected during national competition from 10 long jumpers (age 26.2 ± 4.1 years, height 1.84 ± 0.06 m, mass 72.77 ± 3.23 kg, personal best performance 7.96 ± 0.30 m). Analyses were conducted for total approach, early approach and late approach. For the total approach 4/10 athletes were SF reliant and 6/10 athletes favoured neither characteristic. At the early approach, 3/10 athletes were SF reliant and 7/10 athletes favoured neither. During late approach 2/10 athletes demonstrated SL reliance, 7/10 athletes were SF reliant and 1/10 athletes favoured neither. Four athletes displayed significant asymmetry for SL and three for SF. However, no athletes demonstrated significant asymmetry for SV indicating that the asymmetrical demands of take-off do not have a marked influence on step characteristic asymmetry, probably due to the constraints of the event. Consideration should be given to the potentially conflicting demands between limbs for individual athletes.
authors.affiliation: a School of Physical Education & Sport Sciences (TEFAA) , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Apostolos S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physical Education & Sport Sciences at Thessaloniki (TEFAA) , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panoutsakopoulos
authors.affiliation: c Department of Sport and Exercise Science , University of Portsmouth , Cambridge Road, Portsmouth , UK.
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Exell
authors.affiliation: a School of Physical Education & Sport Sciences (TEFAA) , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Polyxeni
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Argeitaki
authors.affiliation: a School of Physical Education & Sport Sciences (TEFAA) , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Giorgos P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Paradisis
authors.affiliation: a School of Physical Education & Sport Sciences (TEFAA) , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smirniotou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D012420:Running; D014142:Track and Field; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Stride; run-up; sprint; step length; stepfrequency; velocity