Differences in Motor Control Strategies of Jumping Tasks, as Revealed by Group and Individual Analysis

• Published in: Journal of motor behavior Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 44 - 56
• Main Authors: Cushion, Emily J., North, Jamie S., Cleather, Daniel J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 2022; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Biomechanical Phenomena; degrees of freedom; Humans; Knee; Knee Joint; Movement; principal component analysis; Range of Motion, Articular; single-subject analysis; vertical jumping; single-subject analysis; vertical jumping; degrees of freedom; principal component analysis
• ISSN: 0022-2895; 1940-1027; 1940-1027
• DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2021.1886036

The aim of this study was to investigate the motor control strategies adopted when performing two jumping tasks with different task demands when analysed at an individual and group level. Twenty-two healthy individuals performed two jumping tasks: jumping without the use of an arm swing (CMJnas) and jumping starting in a plantar flexed position with the use of an arm swing (PF). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using hip, knee and ankle joint moment data on individual (PCAi) and group data (PCAc). The results demonstrate that a greater number of PCs are required to explain the majority of variance within the dataset in the PF condition at both an individual and group level, compared to CMJnas condition. Although common control strategies were observed between the two jumping conditions, differences in the organisation of the movement (PC loading coefficients) were observed. Results from the group analysis did not completely reflect the individual strategies used to perform each jumping task and highlight the value in performing individual analysis to determine emergent control strategies.