Knee Joint Angle at the Time of Adjustment to Submaximal Jumping in Healthy Men

Abstract

We examined the correlation between jump distance and the maximum flexion angle of the knee joint during jumping to evaluate whether healthy men adjust to jump distance by changing the angle of the knee joint. Fourteen subjects jumped 3 times with their eyes closed to each of what they thought was 25%, 50%, and 75% of their maximum jump distance, a total of 9 jumps for both the vertical and standing broad jump. We measured the knee joint flexion angle at the time of the motion and examined the correlation between jump distance and knee joint flexion angle. The results show a relationship between jump distance and knee joint flexion angle for both the vertical and standing broad jump. We determined that jump distance is controlled by knee joint flexion angle in healthy men. Thus, a factor of jump control was clarified in this study.

Manifestations of Proprioception During Vertical Jumps to Specific Heights

“…A jump performed to a submaximal height has a slightly different movement pattern compared with the maximum jump. A jump to the maximum height is characterized by a greater range of movement in the joints of the lower limbs to achieve greater kinetic energy in the countermovement phase ( 4 , 19 ). Changes are also observed in the proportions of individual muscle and joint contributions ( 8 , 22 , 41 ).…”

“…Kai et al ( 19 ) reported a relationship between the vertical jump height and knee joint flexion angle. Furthermore, Vanrenterghem et al ( 41 ) concluded that movement effectiveness (energy cost reduction) is a driving criterion of the submaximal jump performance technique.…”

“…Despite the substantial interest among researchers regarding vertical jumps (because of applications in sports practices), some questions remain unanswered, particularly concerning submaximal jumps ( 23 , 26 , 29 ). A limited number of studies have analyzed jumps to a specific percentage height ( 19 , 40 , 41 ), especially at low heights (25 or 50% of the maximum height). Because of the specific nature of team sports, the proprioceptive system manifests indirectly during the performance of jumps to varied heights.…”

Selected Kinematic Characteristics Analysis of Knee and Ankle Joints During Block Jump Among Elite Junior Volleyball Players

“…Leg muscle power is determinant for higher jumping; however, many other factors, such as the variety of training modalities (e.g., weight training) [11], plyometric [12], electro-stimulation training [13], jumping techniques, and joint mobility could improve block skills through jumping performance [14][15][16].…”