Assessment of ground contact time in the field: Evaluation of validity and reliability
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Volume
38
Issue
1
First Page
e34
Last Page
e39
PubMed ID
38085634
Publisher
National Strength and Conditioning Association / Wolters Kluwer
School
Exercise Medicine Research Institute
RAS ID
64546
Funders
Edith Cowan University / National Health and Medical Research Council / Academy Research Fellowship (Academy of Finland 321336).
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Weber, JA, Hart, NH, Rantalainen, T, Connick, M, and Newton, RU. Assessment of ground contact time in the field: evaluation of validity and reliability. J Strength Cond Res 38(1): e34-e39, 2024-The capacity to measure the kinetic and kinematic components of running has been extensively investigated in laboratory settings. Many authors have produced work that is of high value to practitioners within sporting environments; however, the lack of field-based technology to assess features of running gait validly and reliably has prevented the application of these valuable works. This paper examines the validity and reliability of a practical field-based methodology for using commercial inertial measurement units (IMUs) to assess ground contact time (GCT). Validity was examined in the comparison of GCT measured from ground reaction force by a force plate and that determined by a lumbar mounted commercial IMU and analyzed using a commercially available system (SPEEDSIG). Reliability was assessed by a field-based examination of within and between-session variability in GCT measured using a commercially available system (SPEEDSIG). Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results for validity (intraclass correlation [ICC] 0.83) and reliability (ICC 0.91) confirm that the described field-based methodology is qualified for use to determine GCT in a practical setting. The implications of this study are important as they offer sport practitioners (S&C coaches, rehab specialists, and physios) a scalable method to assess GCT in the field to develop greater understanding of their athletes and improve performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation interventions. Furthermore, these results provide the foundation for further work that could provide greater detail describing individual running gait in the field.
DOI
10.1519/JSC.0000000000004682
Access Rights
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Comments
Weber, J. A., Hart, N. H., Rantalainen, T., Connick, M., & Newton, R. U. (2024). Assessment of ground contact time in the field: Evaluation of validity and reliability. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(1), e34-e39. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004682