Does the sprint start block position effect the performance over 5m? ABSTRACT The purpose of this study and analysation was to examine the differences of sprint starts in a set amount of time. 20 athletes took part in the experiment on the Whiteland’s College football pitch with the athletes running 5 metres on the grass pitch. The key points of the data collection will be looking at the distance covered in 1. 5 seconds from clearing the blocks. The analysis has been carried out on MaxTRAQ to look at the findings of the results and displacement of the steps for the sprint starts.
Through analysis, the study looks to touch upon with condition (medium start or bunch start) is the best to use for a sprint start looking at velocity and the maximum impulse relationship with the command “go”. The main finding of the experiment is that the medium start would be more efficient and rewarding for a sprint start with maximum velocity (Displacement(m)/Time(s)) and distance covered in 1. 5 seconds. INTRODUCTION From the start of the sprint a crouched start is deemed as more effective than a standing start as an athlete is in the position to move stably through the centre of gravity more rapid (Adrian & Cooper, 1995).
The start is what makes a race overall and analysing which start gives the individual optimal start is what biomechanics covers. In this study, the biomechanics looks at how to reach top speed and cover distances as fast and smoothly as possible and through analysation and searches on how to maintain these ideas; biomechanics points out the fact rhythm comes from a sprint start and the race is made on the starting blocks according to Cooper (1972). Hay (1993) has given an understanding that all sport techniques has gone through biomechanical analysis.
Studies and analysis can go as far back 1927 with Bresnahan investigation the differences of a sprint start. Studies have looked deep into the forces exerted against the blocks, positioning of the body in the set phase and distance of the block steps. The aim of the sprint start is to enable an orderly movement of the athlete for the sprint ahead and to get ahead and reach maximal speed in minimal time. Having a balance on the blocks is key and beneficial for the athlete to maintain their body position where their centre of gravity is high.
Feet position is also key to allow maximum force to be exerted against the blocks and for the force to be applied against the blocks analysis from biomechanics recommend that the body should approximately be at a forty-five-degree angle. The knees, front and rear legs should be straight and aligned with the track to clear the blocks for the best start to a sprint with the highest possible velocity (Tellez & Doolittle 1984). It is easy to realise that the starting block set-up has a great influence on the sprint of the athlete as maximum velocity is needed with the right start.
The differences between the medium start and bunch start is down to the effectiveness of the start. The starting point of the toes on the “on your marks” position of the difference. For the medium start the front foot is levelled opposite to the knee of the rear leg. For the bunch start, the heel of the front foot is level to the toes of the rear foot. According to biomechanists, the medium start allows more force to be produced for a longer amount of time than the bunch start for an extended practicable time.
The bunch start has a limit towards the impulse momentum relationship (impulse = force x time) and exerts less force against the blocks as the athletes are in connection for a lesser amount of time against the blocks (Warden, 1986). The variables have been selected as they are the most influential part of a sprint as if there is a poor start then the whole race will be poor. The mechanical aim of a sprint is to generate large forces and this starts from the sprinting blocks as athletes would want to come out of the blocks at a high velocity.
The skill of the sprint start is discrete so there is no chance to fix a start again from a race in which it is an open skill initiated by another person commanding. The movement must be highly coordinated from the start for the athlete to have a beneficial race. Arm action is important in sprinting to counterbalance the off-centred thrust of the legs; arm action is also a force to push the upper body more to create a balance in the speed the athlete is going. • The hypotheses should detail the specific variables being analysed which will indicate if a difference exists or not.
The hypotheses should determine the difference between the conditions. The hypotheses should determine if there was a relationship between the variables in each condition. METHODS The participants were both male with an average height of 178cm tall but the weight was not measured. The experiment took place at Roehampton University for the duration of 105 minutes. The athletes were told to exert the maximum amount of force they could against the starting block three times for each start. The timing of the sprint was timed on a stopwatch with three time takers collecting the mean time of the sprint.
The equipment had been set up on a sports field on a grass pitch where there could be enough space to run. The running track set up with a starting block; two cones providing the start and end of the track over a distance of 10 metres. The camera was levelled at the belly button height of the participants. The a distance from the movement was 10 metres away from the participant, the camera was on a tripod with spirit level; the camera was place 3, 4, 5m triangle. The sampling frequency was at 50Hz with the shutter speed used was at 1/350 for both the participants.
The scaling object was done on the program MaxTRAQ and it was placed in between the cones at a straight level. Participants were given 5 minutes to warm up exercises and stretches. Each sprint was completed three times with a starters command telling the athlete when to start each time which created an impulse relationship for the athlete. Figure 1: The procedure for the data collection was to use the program MaxTRAQ to calculate and produce results of the run; the program also gave an insight towards the visualisation of the run.
RESULTS Table 1: Bunch Medium Distance Travelled in 1. 5sec (m) 6. 08 6. 10 Distance Travelled in 1. 5sec (m) 5. 585. 76 Table 2: Bunch Medium Max Velocity (m/s)6. 42 6. 67 Max Velocity (m/s)6. 46 7. 36 Figure 2: An association between the two variables for the whole group of results for distance travelled in 1. 5 seconds for metres. A Pearson’s paired t test correlation analysis was carried out, (r 0. 68, P<0. 05), this shows a weak relationship between the two variables in each of the conditions and that more distance was covered for the medium start in 1. 5 seconds than the bunch start.
Figure 3: Velocity of the Centre of Mass over 5m for the medium and bunch conditions. Velocity (m/s) DISCUSSION The study was carried out to test the hypothesis that the differences of a start which were a bunch start or a me start can calculate distance covered in an amount of time by athlete’s in a short distance. The study took an explanation of which starts gave the athlete a better distance coverage and acceleration due to positioning and types of starts. With the data collected and analysis undertaken there is an answer to the study’s hypothesis.
The difference from the condition were that a medium start gave a much distance coverage in a shorter time than a bunch start would. A medium start gave the best opportunity for the athlete to cover the most distance in a run from the data that has been extracted. The analysis shows a weak relationship between the conditions as results were different as of the different starts effect on the run. In a longer distance the starts may not have much as of an effect but for acceleration there are big differences.
The force production of a start plays a key role after the command “go”, the medium start produces more of a stronger force versus the bunch start. The graph points out that more of a distance is covered in 1. 5 seconds in the medium start than the bunch start. A participant had a distance of 5. 58m travelled in 1. 5 secs and for the medium start 5. 76m; this result shows a huge difference of distance travelled from using the medium start. The results were recurring with the medium providing more distance being covered in 1. 5 seconds.
From a theoretical perspective (relate back to the theories outlines in the Introduction), why might this be the case? Warden (1986) talks about the medium start allowing more force to be produced than the bunch start in the same amount of time and this is the case because of the positioning of the foot in the starts. Tellez & Doolittle (1984) insist that the body is more in a forty-five-degree angle which is mostly seen in the medium start gives the body’s centre of gravity the optimal force production and displacement to start a sprint.
No limitations to the data have been indicated as the experiment was conducted in a proper manner and all results were included in the analysis with no flaws. The aim of the experiment has been achieved as the sprint start block position does effect the performance over a 5-metre distance. The position that was found to be the most effective was the medium start position which enabled the maximum velocity of the athletes to reach its peak for a good acceleration.
The analysis and graph data proved beneficial for the study as it was conducted in a proper for it to be used. A participant produced a maximum velocity of 6. 46 for the bunch start and produced a maximum velocity 7. 36 for the medium start; a significant different proved why the medium start is the best start to clear the blocks for an athlete. This significant difference recurred through the whole of the expirement. CONCLUSION The best condition to use for a sprint start would be the medium start as it offers the most efficient start towards a sprint.
The force exerted against the blocks is the most efficient versus the bunch start as more force is exerted against the blocks at the same amount of time (Grinaker, 1963). From Hay’s (1993) past research, it insists that the medium start produces the most efficient maximum impulse and this would be why the athlete on the block would produce the best possible velocity compared to the bunch start. Sigerseth (1963) also agree that the medium start is the best condition to start a race and the most efficient condition for the athlete to use.
Analysation of the medium start shows that a greater acceleration of the centre of gravity was produced with a better forward lean which the maximum impulse was the most effective in. For the results to be more reliable, professional track and field sprinters should be used. An official racing track should also be used with sprinting spikes on feet. Results would be more beneficial and valid as professional techniques would be used from the starting blocks. A mix of genders should also be looked at for future research to see if both types of conditions have the same effect on the athletes.
