Effects of Different Visual Stimuli on Postures and Knee Moments during Sidestepping

Abstract

Compared with the arrow conditions, sidestepping in response to the defender(s) resulted in different postures and knee moments, which further differentiated between high-level and low-level players in the complex 2DS. These findings highlight the effects of stimuli realism and complexity on the visual-perceptual-motor skill of sidestepping, which has implications for anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention.

Different visual stimuli affect body reorientation strategies during sidestepping

“…Experts are able to better utilize pertinent visual information for enhanced VPM task performance only when the environment is realistic and context specific (Farrow et al., ). This postulation is supported by a previous study that highlighted how SS biomechanics is differentiated by not only the game‐realism of the visual stimuli used to elicit the maneuver but also the athletes' skill level (Lee et al., ). High‐level athletes sidestepped with decreased hip abduction and knee valgus moments in avoidance of two defenders that were projected three‐dimensionally, compared with low‐level athletes.…”

“…The methods adopted in this study are similar to those reported in our previous study (Lee et al., ). The difference is in the data collection and analysis.…”

“…() reported a large increase in frontal and transverse plane knee joint loadings during running SS in unplanned situations due to altered upper and lower body kinematics compared with planned situations. Our research group showed that SS biomechanics is further differentiated by the game‐realism of the visual stimuli used to elicit unplanned SS (Lee et al., ), compared with those elicited using lights and planned sidesteps. These studies highlight how visually cued temporal constraints affect SS biomechanics.…”

Biomechanical and Neuromuscular Characteristics of Male Athletes: Implications for the Development of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention Programs

“…Proprioception Soccer Soccer players demonstrated better knee rotatory proprioception than controls [69] Muscle strength and activation Lifters Squat greater Q and H co-contraction and more posteriorly directed tibial forces than leg press [36] Soccer Players showed higher knee extensor and flexor peak torque and H/Q ratio than controls35 Selective lower extremity muscle activation patterns in anticipated conditions but not in unanticipated conditions [11] Post-pubertal boys demonstrated greater Q and H strength than pubertal or pre-pubertal boys [2] Greater lateral vs medial H activation for run and side-cut (lower for crosscut) [57,58] Isometric knee rotatory strength greater in soccer players compared with controls [69] Basketball Post-pubertal boys had greater Q strength than pubertal or pre-pubertal boys [15] Soccer and basketball Ankle, knee, and hip stiffness, and external knee flexion moment increased with maturation [39] Hip abduction torque increased with age in both dominant and non-dominant sides [14] Runners No differences in peak knee flexor and extensor torque and H/Q ratio with knee laxity [77] Combination Pivoting sports had greater joint stiffness with muscle contraction and larger knee flexor and extensor peak torque compared with non-pivoting sports [103] Decreased muscle co-contraction with increasing degrees of knee flexion at landing [76] In pre-landing phase, rectus abdominis, external oblique, and medial gastrocnemius were highly activated [51] Activity of vastus medialis and gluteus maximus before ground contact from landing correlated positively with peak vertical GRF in absorption phase [51] In landing tasks, at ground contact hip and knee were flexed and ankle was plantar flexed [51] In landing, after ground contact peak timings of muscle activities and lower limb joint rotations followed a distal-to-proximal sequential pattern [51] At peak GRF of single-leg landing, soleus exerted a posterior force on the tibia in conjunction with H, whereas this effect was not observed in the gastrocnemius [68] Anticipated compared with unanticipated conditions Soccer Unanticipated side step and crossover performed with more varus-valgus and internal-external knee moments than anticipated tasks, with no differences for flexion-extension knee moments [12] Unplanned side step performed with low hip external rotation, high hip abduction, and high peak knee valgus moment compared with planned conditions [59] Combination Unplanned drop jump at initial contact with lower hip and knee flexion, knee abduction, and higher ankle plantar flexion angles compared with planned conditions...…”

“…Thus, prevention programs should incorporate unanticipated conditions. Knee kinematics and kinetics during anticipated and unanticipated side-step maneuvers in male soccer players were also compared between anticipated and unanticipated situations [59]. This study noted that male soccer players elicited smaller hip external rotation at the initial foot contact during anticipated conditions compared with unanticipated conditions.…”