ARRIAZA, E.; RODRÍGUEZ, C.; CARRASCO, C.; MARDONES, C.; NIEDMANN, L. & LÓPEZ-FUENZALIDA, A.Anthropometric characteristics of elite rhythmic gymnasts. Int. J. Morphol., 34(1):17-22, 2016. SUMMARY:The main aim of this study was to identify the morphological characteristics, to determine the tendency in the physical structure, differences and similarities according to categories based on age of the Chilean team of Rhythmic Gymnastics. We performed an anthropometric analysis of 60 gymnasts, fractioned by categories: preschoolers and schoolers (n= 11), junior (n= 28) and senior (n= 21). The anthropometric analysis was determined based on the study of the body composition, through pentacompartimental fractionation method (Kerr), somatotype (Heath & Carter) and the body mass index (Quetelet). The results showed significant differences between preschoolers and schoolers and higher categories (junior and senior) in the general anthropometric variables of body mass, height and BMI. Regarding the body composition, we only found significant differences in the percentage of muscle mass between the preschoolers and schoolers when being compared with the other two categories. In the study of somatotype, the prevalence of ectomorphic categorization was only found in the preschoolers and schoolers (meso-ectomorph), while in the junior category a mesomorph-ectomorph somatotype was observed and a central type in the senior category. We conclude that the morphology of the selected Chilean Rhythmic gymnastics depends on the category, as observed in the anthropometric characteristics related to the body composition and somatotype. Therefore, this factor is not useful in establishing a clearer tendency in the morph structure for this sport at a national level.
In collective sports, reactive agility training methodologies allow to evaluate and improve the player performance, being able to consider a mixture of technical, tactical, physical, and psychological abilities, similarly to real game-play situations. In this article, we present a new methodology for reactive agility training (neural training), the technological setup for the methodology, and a new footstep tracking algorithm, as the key element for automating the speed data gathering process, necessary for obtaining the relevant variables of the neural training approach. This new methodology is oriented to accurately measure two of the most relevant variables for reactive agility training: total response time (sprint time) and response correctness, related to a stimuli sequence presented to a player. The stimuli were designed to properly represent realistic competitive conditions for player training, contextualized to soccer. In order to automate the gathering process, a new computer vision based automatic footstep detection algorithm has been integrated to the system. The algorithm combines Kalman Filters, segmentation techniques, and perspective geometry, for obtaining highly precise detections of the moment a relevant footstep occurs in real-time, reaching a precision higher than 97%. Plus, the algorithm does not require any special marker, invasive sensor, or clothing constraint on the player.
Basketball game flow and its design can be described as in many others natural systems. The structure, shape and functionality evolve in time and are closely related to performance in several sports. Basketball is a collaboration-opposition sport, thus games present critical points. Non-linear local interactions among players are reflected in the score evolution, the order parameter. Some researchers often presume that scoring in basketball is a random process, meaning memoryless, described using Poisson Model. Scoring cannot be described by a unique distribution. We examined 6130 NBA games and analyzed time intervals between points and scoring dynamic. In the NBA, the most competed games are decided in the last minute, where fouls play a main role (94.02%). Both teams try to keep their advantage solely in order to reach the last minute, where a different game will be played, which can be considered as an example of Red Queen Hypothesis. We also measured the game flow through players real interactions: passes, screens and space creations. Data follow a homogeneous distribution up to a certain value, suggesting that teams resolve the situation with a few steps (diffuse flow). But, if the situation becomes more critical, the dynamics turn into a Power Law Distribution, they modify the game flow spontaneously into a Scale-Free flow (hierarchical flow). These processes take place simultaneously and continuously during game time. Therefore teams would be considered as self-organizing systems.
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