To perform in short-track speed skating, athletes need to implement complex mechanisms to deploy maximum forward propulsion as efficiently as possible. Lap time is influenced by various performance factors, some of which are difficult to assess with the naked eye, even by an experienced coach. As fatigue sets in, faults in movement execution appear, impacting on lap time. It is therefore important for an athlete to know how to manage fatigue in order to optimize performance and limit the risk of injury.
The literature review reveals numerous studies on the measurement and deciphering of speed skating performance. However, these studies use measurement methods that are either bulky, uncomfortable, or costly. What's more, none of them are focused on the continuous parameters follow-up with the onset of fatigue. The aims of this thesis are therefore, firstly, to validate a simple, cheap, and compact method based on the use of a single accelerometer attached to an athlete's sacrum and a code to measure performance parameters, secondly, to identify which of the measured indicators have the greatest influence on performance, and thirdly, to study the impact of fatigue on these selected parameters of interest.
The accelerometric method showed very good results on a group of 30 elite athletes in terms of precision of the automatic detection of the number of skate strokes, identification of a left or right stroke, a pivot or a straight first stroke.
Among the parameters measured, maximum forward propulsion, pushing and repositioning efficiencies, acceleration ratio and sagittal trunk angle were selected as having the most significant impact on lap time. Trends in each of these parameters as a function of fatigue were analyzed, showing little difference between the sexes. There were significant decreases in maximum push and push efficiency, and a significant increase in sagittal angle. Increases in repositioning efficiency and acceleration ratio were observed. Finally, this thesis presents a cheap, compact, and easy-to-use method for measuring performance parameters in short-track speed skating and evaluates the influence of protracted effort on parameters affecting lap time.
| Date | 27 Jun 2024 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Julien Clément (Supervisor) & Julie Côté (Co-supervisor) |
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Gal de Pembroke, T. (Author),
Clément (Supervisor) & Côté (Co-supervisor),
27 Jun 2024Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Automated Manufacturing Engineering