european college of sport science

PP-TT19 Training and Testing 19
Whipp, 2002), which is absent in a simulated time trial. Another explanation for the finding is the used gear ratio, which is quite small in
BMX, resulting in a quicker acceleration and achieving peak power and peak speed earlier than on a race bike and therefore requiring a
more evenly paced strategy as power is generated more quickly resulting in a faster fatique.
References
Hettinga FJ, De Koning JJ, Meijer E, Teunissen L, Foster C (2007). Med Sci Sports Exer, 39 (12), 2212-2218.
Jones AM, & Whipp BJ (2002). Br J Sports Med, 36, 102-104.
Koning JJ de, Bobbert MF, Foster C (1999). J Sci Med Sport, 2(3), 266-277.
ANALYSIS OF FREE-THROW QUOTAS OF LEFTHANDED AND RIGHT-HANDED ELITE BASKETBALL PLAYERS
PAPADOPOULOS, P., LINDNER, M., ERGEC, D., STAFILIDIS, S., GOEBEL, R., BAUM, K.
INSTITUTE OF EUROPEAN SPORT DEVELOPMENT AND LEISURE STUDIES
Introduction: Research in the domain of handedness in sports showed that a tactical advantage is attributed to left-handed athletes in
many sports (Brooks et al., 2003; Wood and Aggleton, 1989). There are only a few studies which analysed performance of sport-specific
motion sequences of right- (RH) and left-handed (LH) athletes (Grondin et al., 1999). The aim of this study was to examine whether LH elite
basketball players have a better free throw quota than RH elite basketball players.
Methods: The free throw performance of 299 players who participated in the season 2006/2007 of the NBA was evaluated statistically.
The data were taken from the NBA website. The players were classified depending on position and handedness (right-hander: n=280,
left-hander: n=19). The handedness was identified using the official list of LH players of the Association for Professional Basketball Research.
In addition an online search of photos of all players was made. In order to discover significant differences between the free throw
quota of all LH and RH basketball players and those playing the same position the Mann-Whitney-U-test was used.
Results: The free throw quota of the LH players was significantly higher (p= 0.034*). The highest significant result (p= 0.011*) was shown
on the guard position. For the forward and center position no significant difference respectively no representative finding was obtained.
There were over two times more LH players (26.3%) than RH players (12.1%) reaching a free throw quota over 85%. On the other hand,
almost two times more RH players (19.3%) than LH players (10.5%) were found reaching a free throw quota under 65%.
Discussion: In contrast to other studies the strategic advantages, which were considered to be the reason for the superior performance of
left-handers, are excluded in the free throw situation. The better performance of left-handers has been attributed to neurological benefits
(Anzola et al., 1977; Geschwind and Galaburda, 1985). These benefits are often associated with better visual and spatial abilities (Nass
and Gazzaniga, 1987) and could explain the results of this study and the findings of other examinations (Dane and Erzurumluoglu, 2003;
Stöckel et al., 2007). Further studies examining different motor skills, a greater number of subjects and the reasons for the phenomenon
found should be conducted.
References:
Anzola G, Bertolini G, Buchtel G, Rizzolatti G (1977). Neuropsychological, 15(2), 295-302.
Brooks R, Bussiere LF, Jennions MD, Hunt J (2003). Proc R Soc. B, 271, 64-66.
Dane S, Erzurumluoglu A (2003). Int J Neurosci, 113(7), 923-929.
Geschwind N, Galaburda AM (1985). Arch Neurol, 42(5), 428-459.
Grondin S, Guiard Y, Ivry RB, Koren S (1999). J Exp Psychol, 25(3), 747-754.
Nass RD, Gazzaniga MS (1987). In: F Plum (Ed), HB Physiol-Nerv Syst V. Oxford University Press, New York.
Stöckel T, Hartmann C, Weigelt M (2007). Z Sportpsych, 14(3), 130-135.
Wood CJ, Aggleton JP (1989). Brit J Psychol, 80, 227-240.
14:15 - 15:15
Poster presentations
PP-TT19 Training and Testing 19
SPEED ADAPTATION IN CYCLE DURATION AND EMG DURING RUNNING ON DIFFERENT GROUND SURFACES AMONG
ORIENTEERS
GJERSET, A., JOHANSEN, E., NILSSON, J.
THE NORWEGIAN SCHOOL OF SPORT SCIENCES, OSLO, NORWAY AND THE SWEDISH SCHOOL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES, STOCK-
HOLM SWEDEN
Introduction: Orienteering is a sport that is extremely demanding, not only with respect to work load, but also with respect to running
techniques that has to be performed on different surfaces at different speeds. The change in surface from hard to soft and from even to
extremely uneven etcetera will impose a challenge to the neuromotor system to execute an optimal movement for the specific demands.
From a motor control point of view it would be beneficial to use a similar basic movement pattern over the whole velocity range and on
different surfaces. The purpose was to study how important stride parameters such as the cycle duration, electromoygraphical (EMG)
burst duration and activation level change with speed and with change in running surface.
Methods: In total six male elite orienteers, mean (range) age, height and weight; 25 (19-32) years, 1.80 (1.74-1.88) m and 71(67-75) kg,
participated in the study. EMG was recorded with surface electrodes on m. vastus lateralis (VL) on the right leg. Angular displacement of
the hip joint of the right leg was recorded by means of an electrogoniometer and used to determine the cycle duration. The participants
ran on four different horizontal ground surfaces; gravel stone road, forest terrain, timber felling and wet moss. The recordings were done
during running in four different constant self determined speeds: slow, medium, fast and maximum speed. The actual mean speed in the
recording intervals performed by the orienteers were determined by means of an ultra sound based timing system (Time it, Eleiko AB,
Sweden).
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