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Limit cycle dynamics of the gymnastics longswing

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posted on 2023-08-30, 15:01 authored by Domenico Vicinanza, Karl Newell, Gareth Irwin, Lee Smith, Genevieve K. R. Williams
The purpose of the study was to examine the macroscopic dynamics of the longswing through a limit cycle analysis of the motion of the center of mass (CM) as a function of skill level. One elite international, five gymnasts able to perform release and regrasp skills, five gymnasts unable to perform release and regrasp skills, and five novice gymnasts each performed four consecutive longswings on a high bar. Kinematic data were collected to facilitate the calculation of the center of mass position of the performer during swinging. Poincare plots were used to explore the limit cycle dynamics of the center of mass movement. The attractor dynamic was very close to a one-dimensional limit cycle for the elite (D=1.18) but higher for the release and regrasp group (D = 1.35 ± 0.06) and non-release and regrasp group (D = 1.37 ± 0.07). The novice dynamic was characterized by a two-dimensional limit cycle (D = 2.49 ± 0.28) that also had more variability and lower determinism. In the frequency domain, Inharmonicity was lower and the Q factor higher as a function of increased skill level. The findings show that the dynamical degrees of freedom of the CM in the skilled performance were reduced compared to those of novices and represented a more efficient and predictive, rather than exploratory, technique.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

57

Page range

217-226

Publication title

Human Movement Science

ISSN

1872-7646

Publisher

Elsevier

File version

  • Accepted version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2017-12-22

Legacy creation date

2017-12-21

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)

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