Abstract
Previous research using an aperture crossing task has shown that specific athletic training influenced actions only when performed in a similar context to that in which it was trained (i.e., increased walking speed) (Higuchi et al., 2011). The objective of the present study is to examine the action strategies of individuals with and without specific athletic training, combined with an increased rate of locomotion during a collision avoidance task. Participants included varsity athletes specifically trained (ST, N=4) at fitting through narrow openings (i.e. offensive positions in football) as well as non-specifically trained individuals (nST, N=3). Participants ran towards a goal placed at the end of a 10m pathway, with two vertically oriented obstacles placed 5m away from the goal on either side of the path’s centre line. The obstacles created an aperture width that ranged between 0.6 and 1.8 (increments of 0.2) times each participant’s shoulder width (SW). Kinematic data was collected using an NDI Optotrak motion tracking system to monitor heading direction and body segment rotation. We hypothesized that athletes specifically trained in a related task will have a smaller Critical Point (i.e., change in action) than the non-specifically trained individuals, when moving at an increased rate of locomotion. Preliminary results revealed that nST individuals were more cautious than the ST individuals (CP=1.6 versus 1.4 SW). Results also revealed that ST individuals passed through obstacles that were between 1.0 and 1.4 SW with postural adjustments (i.e. shoulder rotation or shrug) and only changed travel paths when the apertures were <1.0 SW. Conversely, nST individuals made infrequent postural adjustments and chose to change travel paths at apertures 1.6 SW and smaller. Similar to previous aperture crossing research, ST and nST individuals show differences in action when a task is performed at a similar rate to training.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2013