Strength classification and diagnosis : not all strength is created equal
- Authors: James, Lachlan , Talpey, Scott , Young, Warren , Geneau, Mary , Newton, Robert , Gastin, Paul
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Strength and Conditioning Journal Vol. 45, no. 3 (2023), p. 333-341
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Maximal force can be expressed across a range of conditions influenced by the external load and the time available to express force. As a result, several distinct and specific strength qualities exist. Conversely, some expressions of maximal force are similar and can be categorized as a single quality. Therefore, strength assessment systems must be sophisticated enough to isolate and measure each quality while minimizing redundant information. This article presents a contemporary, evidence-based and practical framework that reduces the many strength and speed-strength metrics into 5 distinct qualities. Alongside this, we present case examples of the application of strength diagnosis. © 2023 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Common high-speed running thresholds likely do not correspond to high-speed running in field sports
- Authors: Freeman, Brock , Talpey, Scott , James, Lachlan , Opar, David , Young, Warren
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Vol. 37, no. 7 (2023), p. 1411-1418
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this study was to clarify what percentage of maximum speed is associated with various running gaits. Fifteen amateur field sport athletes (age = 23 ± 3.6 years) participated in a series of 55-meter running trials. The speed of each trial was determined by instructions relating to 5 previously identified gait patterns (jog, run, stride, near maximum sprint, and sprint). Each trial was filmed in slow motion (240 fps), whereas running speed was obtained using Global Positioning Systems. Contact time, stride angle, and midstance free-leg knee angle were determined from video footage. Running gaits corresponded with the following running speeds, jogging = 4.51 m·s-1, 56%Vmax, running = 5.41 m·s-1, 66%Vmax,striding = 6.37 m·s-1, 78%Vmax, near maximum sprinting = 7.08 m·s-1, 87%Vmax, and sprinting = 8.15 m·s-1, 100%Vmax. Significant (p < 0.05) increases in stride angle were observed as running speed increased. Significant (p < 0.05) decreases were observed in contact time and midstance free-leg knee angle as running speed increased. These findings suggest currently used thresholds for high-speed running (HSR) and sprinting most likely correspond with jogging and striding, which likely underestimates the true HSR demands. Therefore, a higher relative speed could be used to describe HSR and sprinting more accurately in field sports. © 2023 NSCA National Strength and Conditioning Association. All rights reserved.