The characteristics of running and walking movements between sprint-skilled-athletes and non-athletes

Abstract

Walking, jogging and sprinting occur repeatedly in daily life and also many sports events. The present study was undertaken to clarify whether the different kinematic characteristics of sprinting movements between sprint-skilled athletes and non-athletes are common to the those of walking and running movements. Nine male athletes and eleven untrained male students were asked to perform walking, fast-walking and jogging at set speeds (walking: 1.5 m/s; fast-walking, jogging: 2.4 m/s), and sprinting at maximal speed. Walking, fast-walking and jogging movements were recorded by digital video camera and sprinting movement by high-speed video camera. Kinematic variables obtained from video analysis were compared between two groups and within each group. Double support time of fast-walking and contact time of jogging and sprinting were significantly shorter in athletes. Minimal knee angles in jogging and sprinting were significantly larger, and knee angular displacements and hip angle at left foot contact in fast-walking, jogging and sprinting were significantly smaller in athletes. Touch down distances were significantly shorter in all movements and right hip joint angle was small at right foot contact in fast walking, jogging and sprinting. Leg scissors movement was a characteristic of athletes. During the support phase, non-athletes tended to flex not only the knee joint but also the hip joint at foot contact, while athletes tended to keep on extending hip and knee joints. These results suggest that differences exist between two groups and that there are common characteristics of the movements in each group, which could be technically significant from a coaching viewpoint.