tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69583837568542552222024-02-20T15:59:04.769-08:00Flying HighBrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-90961274147648286572011-04-30T16:54:00.000-07:002011-04-30T17:00:03.328-07:00Nutrition-Fats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAFogSQx0FUsNUGxWnMY6MRy8MaitOX9c3vOqV44ML0rb9UBYYnnXq1ZZFDd-DxfTfbETi-xjTM-ZqeFpn9_ntssq8KKBQtZCkZ_0ErFuaDp4or3sgVBlI8iBnq0Und7f_yJZfYcTVMxB/s1600/r283741_1207162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAFogSQx0FUsNUGxWnMY6MRy8MaitOX9c3vOqV44ML0rb9UBYYnnXq1ZZFDd-DxfTfbETi-xjTM-ZqeFpn9_ntssq8KKBQtZCkZ_0ErFuaDp4or3sgVBlI8iBnq0Und7f_yJZfYcTVMxB/s320/r283741_1207162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAFogSQx0FUsNUGxWnMY6MRy8MaitOX9c3vOqV44ML0rb9UBYYnnXq1ZZFDd-DxfTfbETi-xjTM-ZqeFpn9_ntssq8KKBQtZCkZ_0ErFuaDp4or3sgVBlI8iBnq0Und7f_yJZfYcTVMxB/s1600/r283741_1207162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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Fats are another macronutrient which many people to swear off along with carbs, but the truth is athletes need fats in order to maximize their performance. According to <a href="http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/PDFs/Home/120610_weightmanagement.pdf">USA Gymnastics</a> fats are a crucial part of a healthy diet but the athlete must be educated and make good choices about the types of fat they eat.<br />
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</div><div>Saturated fats should not exceed 7% of the athletes total calories, these fats are normally found in foods such as milk and other dairy products including cheese and ice cream, butter and chocolate. Another type of fats are trans fat. Theses fats have been hydrogenated in order to make the fat more solid and they typically raise cholesterol levels. These are the fats that athletes want to avoid and are normally found in processed snack foods and fast foods, which most athletes will want to try to avoid anyways in order to get all the proper nutrients.<br />
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</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaKHQkRgObd5qexNkQ5GWZANVlkDvNBUKbhl2g4KDw4DZmjx9PBj4zc_ee1oyXqLYLPbMSMZQ8kLofsl1dNSFGP6wnqgiHQZnxSNiVfLKhxEvgeGLr4CYWsSImFVpXrhvhAF1dBk96stV/s1600/FoodPyramid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaKHQkRgObd5qexNkQ5GWZANVlkDvNBUKbhl2g4KDw4DZmjx9PBj4zc_ee1oyXqLYLPbMSMZQ8kLofsl1dNSFGP6wnqgiHQZnxSNiVfLKhxEvgeGLr4CYWsSImFVpXrhvhAF1dBk96stV/s200/FoodPyramid.jpg" width="200" /></a>The healthier option for meeting ones dietary needs for fats are mono and polyunsaturated fats. While including fat in your diet is important, for gymnasts having a diet too high in fat can be difficult because each gram of fat provides over twice the amount of calories as a gram of carbohydrates. For endurance athletes this can be useful though particularly for super long distance events because the body burns the fat after the carbs have been used up.</div><div><br />
</div><div>It's finding the correct balance of carbs, protein and fat that is the key to having the nutrition for top performance. The percentages I've found vary from sport to sport but they all stay consistent in that the diet should be high in carbs, moderate in proteins and low in fat regardless of the sport. Regardless of all the fad diets out there every athlete needs a balance of the 3 macronutrient groups and cutting any one out, or consuming too few calories will cause more harm to the athlete than anything.<br />
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On another note, as this blog was a class project this may be the last post for awhile though I may continue to write some more on more general athletics since the project combined with my interest in attempting a few more triathlons has sparked my curiosity.</div></div><div><br />
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</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-44391512065460608752011-04-29T09:27:00.000-07:002011-04-29T09:27:22.383-07:00Nutrition- Proteins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Growing up as a vegetarian the one thing I was constantly asked was how I got my protein, which as a now meat eater I'm not quite sure how I did. Of all the varying nutrition information I've heard, protein seems to have always been the one good thing to make sure you got enough of.<br />
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<div>Proteins are macronutrients that are made up of amino acids and play an important role in the creation of new muscles as well and in production of hormones an enzymes. The amino acids link together in order to form varying shapes and sizes of proteins. Proteins have a unique chemical structure from the other macronutrients (they contain nitrogen) which allows them to perform their specific function for the body. Along with aiding the creation of new muscle they are important in maintenance and healing existing tissues. Again, as with previous nutrients gymnasts which have a propper diet filled with protein-rich foods will get more than enough to meet their bodies needs without taking any supplements.<br />
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What was really interesting that I had not previously heard was that excessive protein intake isn't helpful in training or performance and can actually be harmful to people who have a decreased kidney function. That seems to be the key though to everything nutrition, too much of any one thing is never a good thing.<br />
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</div><div>Protein is very important for the growth and maintenance of the body's core structure, the muscle and bones and helps regulate body processes. Combining protein with carbs for a post-workout meal will be the most useful in aiding the body with muscle recovery which is critical for athletes, particularly gymnasts who tear down a lot of muscle during training.<br />
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</div></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-83004220946058108422011-04-27T17:15:00.000-07:002011-04-27T17:15:14.135-07:00Nutrition- Carbohydrates<div style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU7poskepI_wcFY6WadGI3Wnj8pwVlYDt_MVvlKG5XbGvCG2u72fThaOQIOvJntSwrIlJKfFBvAuvNY0cSQ8uk8V3FB1XU1LO0Ufj9PG0Ifb0lriUDT6IAfsjhLwk_omzdbwRB_1WyVS7/s1600/2453559_com_pastaandsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLU7poskepI_wcFY6WadGI3Wnj8pwVlYDt_MVvlKG5XbGvCG2u72fThaOQIOvJntSwrIlJKfFBvAuvNY0cSQ8uk8V3FB1XU1LO0Ufj9PG0Ifb0lriUDT6IAfsjhLwk_omzdbwRB_1WyVS7/s1600/2453559_com_pastaandsa.jpg" /></a></div><b><a name='more'></a></b>Carbohydrates are one of the most critical nutrient groups for any athlete, whether its in gymnastics or distance runners, swimmers or cyclists. All athletes tend to need a diet similar to the one USA Gymnastics recommended for gymnasts: high in carbs, moderate in proteins and low in fat. The balance of the 3 varies between sports and individual athletes but the general breakdown seems to the same. <br />
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So what's the big fuss about carbs? It seems while athletes are needing a large amount of them many of the new diets encourage an extremely low intake of carbs. Carbs fuel the nervous system functions, which is one of the reasons people tend to feel weak and light headed after skipping meals. In order to function properly the body needs a certain amount of carbs, and other nutrients, in order to function properly. Without the proper intake fatigue and muscle cramps can commonly occur. <br />
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Carbs are the critical sources of energy and are the most efficient source for glycogen, a muscle "fuel". While daily intake levels vary from athlete to athlete the intake amount should match the amount necessary for training and muscle recovery. All carbs however weren't created equally, some have very high or moderate glycemic indexes (such sugars, juices and breads.) Carbs with high glycemic indexes can easily be converted by the body into glucose and glycogen. The advantage here is they provide a quick recovery, however the downside is that it's very short lived. <br />
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On the other hand carbs which have low glycemic indexes, such as oat bran and whole wheats provide a slower increase in glucose and glycogen, causing in turn a smaller increase in insulin. These carbs are good for weight management, but not so much for muscle glycogen recovery. </div><div style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuc1HBf8qRAfyBuMHihewsAtJUlx-bsPdf1MRJvylrXhaFNVQ6nL56erIlrKcFsxtPDIlMx7SYNW2Jdnkj7R9Pwm_qF-0nG856_zOxYkEetWU0NvzPhozGGoRVT8tqbCIpdvNFr2c_73vO/s1600/021_endurance_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuc1HBf8qRAfyBuMHihewsAtJUlx-bsPdf1MRJvylrXhaFNVQ6nL56erIlrKcFsxtPDIlMx7SYNW2Jdnkj7R9Pwm_qF-0nG856_zOxYkEetWU0NvzPhozGGoRVT8tqbCIpdvNFr2c_73vO/s320/021_endurance_lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;">Carbs are more critical in endurance sports than in gymnastics, though as you can see from the recommended percentages they still play a critical role in the athletes performance. Carbs are typically considered to be the fuel necessary for endurance sports, but sometimes the importance of carbs can be overdone and some athletes will overdo carb intake. While carbs are very important having a balanced diet including the proteins and fats is critical, particularly in endurance sports since the longer the distance is the more the importance of fats and proteins increases. </div><div style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px;">The one thing that seems to be consistently difficult is finding the right balance of the different dietary needs, it seems as though everywhere you turn I hear different things. The only thing that seems to consistently work is paying attention to what your body is craving and eating those foods.</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-61472464795197391962011-04-25T11:51:00.000-07:002011-05-03T21:58:12.688-07:00Nutrition-The rundown<div style="font: 12.0px 'Century Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFN_fCeZty04WjEij1peNEpV6so76LHfPM5npCyxSRqMZq0W0EvPFPn6AJuvaPppZ641A_3XKnZ2rHo9jebcncV5w47WNWiZhjQZqOy3t_C0JXSu2LkBul2iW1-NWQO5zcO07cSebHBApx/s1600/maxifuel_cricket_nutrition_stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFN_fCeZty04WjEij1peNEpV6so76LHfPM5npCyxSRqMZq0W0EvPFPn6AJuvaPppZ641A_3XKnZ2rHo9jebcncV5w47WNWiZhjQZqOy3t_C0JXSu2LkBul2iW1-NWQO5zcO07cSebHBApx/s1600/maxifuel_cricket_nutrition_stack.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">heroesfitness.co.uk</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Regardless of particular diciplines or positions there is actually an ideal diet for most gymnasts according to <a href="http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/PDFs/Home/120610_weightmanagement.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">USA Gymnastics.</span></a><br />
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This diet is one that consists of high amounts of carbohydrates, moderate in proteins and low in fats, though the actual amounts will vary based off of the athletes energy needs. The energy needs of the athlete will vary on their training schedule, if the want to gain/lose/maintain their weight and muscle gain goals. Its been found that rather than eating a few large meals a day that more frequent smaller meals and snacks are much better because they will provide a steady source of energy which will enhance training, performance and weight goals. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Processed foods, or junk foods, and eating out can be a major dietary challenge for gymnasts as well as any athlete, particularly when traveling. Options tend to be limited when it comes to these foods and tend to be low in useful nutrients and very high in free sugars, salts and fat. Eating out can be more challenging than packaged food because the packaged foods have a nutrition label while many restraunts don't have this information readily available. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sometimes athletes will take supplements in order to increase their intake of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Supplements can also contain protein, amino acids, carnitine, creatine, caffeine and bicarbonates. If an athlete has heathy and varied diet these supplements shouldn't be necessary as they should be getting all nutrients required for the heath and training. Supplements are not commonly used but are sometimes used to due to dietary restrictions or religious restrictions. </span></span><br />
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In other sports at least it seems as though protein shakes and supplements are fairly common but according to USA Gymnastics "Protein supplements have not been shown to be helpful in meeting energy needs or building muscle. " However despite that its been found that protein/carb bars can be useful for both building muscle and meeting energy needs. The one important thing here is that whole proteins are much better than individual amino acids, though I'm not sure that one can tell what a bar contains from looking at the label.<br />
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There are also some trace elements found in some of these energy bars that have been shown to help older athletes or those with arthritis, but not in healthy athletes. These elements are typicially glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. There have also been studies performed that " show an increase in energy by taking carnitine, pyruvate and ribose despite claims by vendors." Which is interesting because the majority of energy drinks seem to advertise that carnitine is one of their ingredients.<br />
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Creatine is a nutrient which increases high energy creatine phosphate in muscles as well as aiding muscle mass. Recently some drinks and bar producers have begun adding creatine to their products but is more readily available in tablet and powder forms. So far it is not believed to be harmful and is also believed to be useful in between workouts for muscle recovery. What I found interesting here though was that this was believed to be true only in the highest level of athletes, so I'm not quite sure what that means for the rest of us.<br />
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This video talks about proper nutrition for athletes and the next few post will look into details of how carbs, fats and proteins impact the athlete.</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-24141448802501891102011-04-22T08:52:00.000-07:002011-04-25T20:51:09.780-07:00Energy Intake<div style="font: 12.0px 'Century Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLPq5AcrGbMcJ4hYHHI2ZP11Xb3tU8yC4-dppersRadkwhM5w3Jzm5Y6tAg0Dtbke5PZkAY1wNxrowy__TDNJta0DJlax7yU61BGYkZBEBE8XdK19iJKjtJZmQzcN9DqLAf6eEWKro7sm/s400/Gymnastics+Tumbling.jpg" width="400" /></div><a name='more'></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Recently I've decided on a new "hobby" for the summer, triathlons. Training for my first one ever got me curious about energy needs for athletes and how it changes depending on the particular sport in question. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: auto;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Gymnasts are constantly seeking a good balance between power and weight-conciousness in order to perfect they routines. In general the sport tends to be a "power" sport, which means that the athlete aims to maximize there strength and muscle power. This is necessary not only for the tumbling portions and vaulting exercises, but even for the dance portions in order to allow for maximum jump height. Sometime the gymnasts discipline/specific role in the sport can determine there overall energy needs and expenditure. </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: left;">This video show's parts of a power tumbling competition. I find it pretty difficult to imagine the amount of strength it takes someone to be able to do these passes! </div></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In order for the athlete to achieve the best nutrition for energy output and muscle growth the general consensus of seems to be refueling and consuming protein are carbohydrates both before and after the workout. WIthout an adequate energy intake the ability for the athlete to build the muscle necessary isn't possible. According to Dr. A. Jay Binder, a member of the Medical Commission of the FIG</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Century Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><blockquote>This includes a high carbohydrate-rich diet for energy and protein and nutrient-rich foods to provide the raw materials for building and maintaining muscle. The diet should vary with training frequency, intensity, and duration. If these eating patterns are maintained during periods of rest, less intense training, or upon retirement, it can lead to weight gain and even obesity in a short period of time.</blockquote>While having power is a critical component of gymnastics, the athletes must also remain weight conscious in order to obtain an advantage during performance for agility and flexibility components. For this component of the sport the athletes eating strategy must change to include a higher number of smaller meals, less fat, low glycemic foods and more fiber. Unfortunately it's commonly the athletes focusing on this aspect that, according to Dr. A. Jay Binder, "are at high risk of disordered eating and clinical eating disorders."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquaM5OVfe_tJuxCiPAkFnhnvGS84Hp0UU1UqntUy5HpMSVo0_ukzE194GnoqD1SG5GO0maWWSKObXUzO9scV812NfrnDB9pXWUHu9EHTQpAOwAGFAWRHWdXy7gtb_tjOLS95PZV5_o23-/s1600/screen-capture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquaM5OVfe_tJuxCiPAkFnhnvGS84Hp0UU1UqntUy5HpMSVo0_ukzE194GnoqD1SG5GO0maWWSKObXUzO9scV812NfrnDB9pXWUHu9EHTQpAOwAGFAWRHWdXy7gtb_tjOLS95PZV5_o23-/s640/screen-capture.png" width="640" /></a></div>This digram from an <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/PDFs/Home/120610_weightmanagement.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">article</span></a> </span>from USA Gymnastics shows how the athletes energy needs and focuses shift depending on their discipline.<br />
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It seems as though with gymnastics there is a constant struggle to find that balance between the power aspects and the more weight conscious aspects since they are so closely combined within the routines. From my perspective at least it seems to make simple nutritional choices very complicated when you're being told so many different things at once.</span></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-1825609998201842202011-04-20T11:17:00.000-07:002011-04-20T11:28:43.084-07:00Stunted Growth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ht3cJctWelDKDvNy7dwEHgkzYIZ-whGyq3dHbOUI2J56fli69PAJP82Afvj47Si8cDHgvvQ7U5S_ckrLZrLaoPR3O181WVq0Zo9dc0zOWBwCypBhYUVv8NhZ1mq0s-TvMqhO3aM5d99h/s1600/kaitlin.jpg" /></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ht3cJctWelDKDvNy7dwEHgkzYIZ-whGyq3dHbOUI2J56fli69PAJP82Afvj47Si8cDHgvvQ7U5S_ckrLZrLaoPR3O181WVq0Zo9dc0zOWBwCypBhYUVv8NhZ1mq0s-TvMqhO3aM5d99h/s1600/kaitlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ht3cJctWelDKDvNy7dwEHgkzYIZ-whGyq3dHbOUI2J56fli69PAJP82Afvj47Si8cDHgvvQ7U5S_ckrLZrLaoPR3O181WVq0Zo9dc0zOWBwCypBhYUVv8NhZ1mq0s-TvMqhO3aM5d99h/s1600/kaitlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ht3cJctWelDKDvNy7dwEHgkzYIZ-whGyq3dHbOUI2J56fli69PAJP82Afvj47Si8cDHgvvQ7U5S_ckrLZrLaoPR3O181WVq0Zo9dc0zOWBwCypBhYUVv8NhZ1mq0s-TvMqhO3aM5d99h/s1600/kaitlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10.8333px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">lafleursgymnasticclub.com</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>If you've ever watched gymnastics on the television you've probably noticed they are all tiny, both in size and height. Growing up in the sport I commonly heard that its the training that stunts your growth and have always wondered if it is true. While most gymnasts are not commonly underweight for their heights, they are as a whole unusually short in comparison with other athletes and the general population.<br />
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I found this <a href="http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/female-gymnasts-injury.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">article</span></a> that investigated whether is was their training that makes them smaller. <br />
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One concern about the small stature of gymnasts was that their small size may increase injury risk and may cause their skeletal systems to be less well-developed in comparison with other female athletes. What was found was that "the 'skeletal ages' of gymnasts are often average or 'on time for chronological age' during childhood, but by late adolescence most gymnasts’ skeletons may be classified as late-maturing.<br />
<h2 style="color: #005a5a; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;">This confirms that gymnasts in general are much smaller, but still hasn't answered if it the training that causes it. While the specific aspects have not been identified, many sports scientist believe that characteristics of gymnastics training are the cause for the stunted growth. This is what the article had to say regarding a few studies that were done.</span></span></span></h2><h2 style="color: #005a5a; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><blockquote> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0;">For example, researchers from Deakin University in Australia and Western Washington University in the United States who analysed 35 clinical reports (cross-sectional, historical, and prospective cohort studies) found that élite-level gymnasts may indeed be at increased risk of adverse effects on growth. This group found that adolescent-female-gymnasts’ skeletal systems matured at decreased rates during periods of regular gymnastics training, but then began to catch up during periods of reduced training or else retirement, suggesting that something about gymnastics training was affecting growth and maturation. The Deakin-Washington researchers found that the greater the number of years of gymnastic training, the greater the reduction in growth; they also found that gymnasts tended to have more problems with their spinal growth, compared with elongation of the bones in the arms and legs .</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;">.</span></h2><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U.S. National Team</td></tr>
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</span></div>Gymnastics seems to cause some very interesting effects in the young athletes. In general swimmers tend to have skeletal ages that are either average or advanced in adolescence and childhood compared to sedentary females, yet gymnasts have ones which are less than average. Its interesting as well going back to the age debate, because many of the injuries and issues with growth seem to begin in childhood. The average age of retirement for a gymnast is only 21 years. Gymnastics is the only sport where the elite athletes are always so young, yet it seems there may be something to not want to train them so hard at such a young age. <br />
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</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-37682122800893443632011-04-19T17:04:00.000-07:002011-04-19T17:04:46.846-07:00Back Injuries<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-sDdim2xqmZi75eikQzuRAc00wPxhm1eeAve13JIGZw14m6r6goUwyOF03LaJOC7rkYy8tQjA9NhF4-xQ71BLOEwTpsvdCKFFsGa9JsTWgdlhOuMYfN5JYEra3a4jTzGzyPOzBMIjKli/s320/bender-jackie-CAN.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15.6px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">gymnet.org</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-sDdim2xqmZi75eikQzuRAc00wPxhm1eeAve13JIGZw14m6r6goUwyOF03LaJOC7rkYy8tQjA9NhF4-xQ71BLOEwTpsvdCKFFsGa9JsTWgdlhOuMYfN5JYEra3a4jTzGzyPOzBMIjKli/s1600/bender-jackie-CAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-sDdim2xqmZi75eikQzuRAc00wPxhm1eeAve13JIGZw14m6r6goUwyOF03LaJOC7rkYy8tQjA9NhF4-xQ71BLOEwTpsvdCKFFsGa9JsTWgdlhOuMYfN5JYEra3a4jTzGzyPOzBMIjKli/s1600/bender-jackie-CAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
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<span class="goog_qs-tidbit-0">Gymnastics, an already rigourous sport, can cause many back injuries particularly in adolescents since their bodies are still developing. These injuries come from the repetetive stressful body movements such as bending and twisting. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzND2cEooX0uatfkkLzJnl1LioAwRxIiE20_i6QfC5e_ZQOOrV14qPjnjIcNXi7uGxnQ4fofnPVav8RFoVEOsTctbX6so7ARKizvUb_DRdeKgp_sOeB-Ids2AKLOPmfcfyaP98HPvnmFf/s1600/injury+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzND2cEooX0uatfkkLzJnl1LioAwRxIiE20_i6QfC5e_ZQOOrV14qPjnjIcNXi7uGxnQ4fofnPVav8RFoVEOsTctbX6so7ARKizvUb_DRdeKgp_sOeB-Ids2AKLOPmfcfyaP98HPvnmFf/s320/injury+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 15.6px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">gymnasticsvfootball.blogspot.com</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The bones is the lower back, or the lumbar vertebrae are particularly suceptible to injury in developing adolescents. The strenousous nature of the sport places strain on the ligaments surrounding the spine which is a problem since the spine doesn't develop at the same rate as these ligaments do. This strain on the ligaments then causes extra stess on the spine. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Some people say this may be one of the reasons so many young gymnasts end up with minor cases of scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side. This is said to be because gymnastics is so focused on developing one side of the body, the "good leg/side" that the extra development in the muscles on that side can push the spine slightly off center. While this only causes minor cases of scoloiosis it is still an issue.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">In a study found from <a href="http://www.gymnasticsrescue.com/back.htm"><span style="color: purple;">gymnastics rescue</span></a> it was said that:</div><blockquote>In a survey of 100 girls, aged 11-15, having been trained actively in rhythmic gymnastics at least for a period of 5 years, we found a fivefold higher incidence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). These data were compared to the results from a screening of 4800 students of the same age, carried out in Sofia by the same examining team in 1996.</blockquote>This shows that the training may have a big impact on how the young gymnast develops. It does definitely seems to be a very prevelent issue, because I among other girls on my own team end up having minor cases of scoliosis. <br />
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</div><div align="left">In more rare occurances difficult moves that aren't landed correctly can cuase major injuries, such as a diver lanfing flat on the water from a platform dive or a gymnast landing badly onto a hard surface(which is why the equipment is often completely surrounded by mats as much as possible). These mistakes will often cause the athlete some spinal trauma. </div><div align="left">. </div></span><br />
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<strong><span class="goog_qs-tidbit-0">Scol</span></strong><strong><span class="goog_qs-tidbit-0">iosis</span></strong><br />
Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine to one side. In those who have the condition, the spine bends either to the left or to the right. The bend can occur at any point along the spine, from the top to the bottom. The curvature can also vary from a slight to severe. However, the chest area (thoracic scoliosis) and the lower part of the back (lumbar scoliosis) are the most common regions to be affected. <br />
In a survey of 100 girls, aged 11-15, having been trained actively in rhythmic gymnastics at least for a period of 5 years, we found a fivefold higher incidence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). These data were compared to the results from a screening of 4800 students of the same age, carried out in Sofia by the same examining team in 1996Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-88372710084464306422011-04-19T16:56:00.000-07:002011-04-19T16:56:33.838-07:00Caffeine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSKWG18ETFtSzTrX80KEgCDezzQZJeolyURU53WuMRWQUqlD4W4HpX60xatGtxewZA1Zx5f0LBDLLbHNrrhJhZGSIzNUoDGb2VmAZZnihLZmYpDJ8OCClwEEBvq1Fcd2uJV_Xxlp61ZzL/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSKWG18ETFtSzTrX80KEgCDezzQZJeolyURU53WuMRWQUqlD4W4HpX60xatGtxewZA1Zx5f0LBDLLbHNrrhJhZGSIzNUoDGb2VmAZZnihLZmYpDJ8OCClwEEBvq1Fcd2uJV_Xxlp61ZzL/s320/IMG_1464.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSKWG18ETFtSzTrX80KEgCDezzQZJeolyURU53WuMRWQUqlD4W4HpX60xatGtxewZA1Zx5f0LBDLLbHNrrhJhZGSIzNUoDGb2VmAZZnihLZmYpDJ8OCClwEEBvq1Fcd2uJV_Xxlp61ZzL/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">mycaffeineaddiction.com</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Most of us love our daily coffee in the morning, I know I do. Caffeine is a bit of a controversy within athletics though and is actually a banned substance above certain concentrations (12mg/L) in the NCAA as well as by the International Olympic Committee. The concentration of 12 mg/L corresponds to about 8 cups of coffee, though typically one energy drink in enough to put someone above that concentration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWS5UFJ_d1KjfXZ_FJi0s8rCUxDoDTvDqKN0r1Hwj7uwPP8JHsce-KMqiAFluzgF28HmpLZh5hFDUePTOhD8EUigAx4zMqJQ0XLyeVlZelyQh8vGrAmdEEZSMfvy8-fZaQ8F5yRi3bxDv/s1600/6a0105367ba84b970b0147e2b5d38f970b-320wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWS5UFJ_d1KjfXZ_FJi0s8rCUxDoDTvDqKN0r1Hwj7uwPP8JHsce-KMqiAFluzgF28HmpLZh5hFDUePTOhD8EUigAx4zMqJQ0XLyeVlZelyQh8vGrAmdEEZSMfvy8-fZaQ8F5yRi3bxDv/s200/6a0105367ba84b970b0147e2b5d38f970b-320wi.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">paleochronicles.com</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've always wondered what is its purpose of caffeine in athletics was, apart from keeping us awake and happy. What I found in this <a href="http://www.vanderbilt.edu/ans/psychology/health_psychology/caffeine_sports.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">article</span></a> was that within athletics the main benefits of caffeine are believed to be both mental and physical. On the performance side of it, caffeine is said to improve an athletes endurance, particularly in running and cycling. However it was shown for sports needing quick bursts of energy such as sprinting, swimming, and gymnastics caffeine had very little impact.<br />
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On the mental side of things it has been shown that caffeine improves concentration for between 1 and 3 hours because it stimulates the central nervous system at high levels. The areas it normally effects are the medulla and the cortex and actually has the ability to reach the spinal cord in even larger amounts. Its the impact in the cortex that provides the effect of increased concentration. It was also shown that "for athletes competing in sports where quick thinking and rapid reactions are necessary, caffeine can provide a huge edge." This leads me to believe that in gymnastics and diving this is the area in which caffeine consumption would be an advantage.<br />
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There have been three main theories about how caffeine works. The first one, I think my favorite, is that caffeine actually causes the body to burn more fat and less carbohydrates. Muscles are primarily fueled by glycogen however fat is a much more abundant, though more difficult source the body can use for energy but caffeine can help the body utilize the fat.<br />
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<blockquote>Studies show that in the first fifteen minutes of exercise caffeine has the potential to reduce the loss of glycogen by fifty percent. When this happens, the saved glycogen can be used for the remainder of the workout where normally it would be entirely depleted. (http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/caffeine.html)</blockquote><div><br />
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The second theory is that caffeine acts as an ergogenic aid both before and during the workout. This was tested by performing a study involving a two hour cycling endurance test both with and without caffeine and it was found that the caffeine led to a higher work output during the ride by an average of 7%.</div><div><br />
The last theory was regarding caffeines ability to increase the athletes mental focus because it is a stimulant to the central nervous system. It slows substances which are used to stop neuronal firing in order to increase both awareness and reaction times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">confessionsofacrossfitcoach.blogspot.com</span></span></td></tr>
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</span></span></span></div>There are no precise answers to exactly how caffeine impacts the body, but my guess is that it is a combination of all 3 theories. While I can see why the ICO and NCAA have a ban on caffeine I am still surprised thats it is placed in a category along steroids and cocaine. I never realized just how much caffeine was able to impact the body and physical performance, particularly because it is so widely used on a daily basis.<br />
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</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-57083427203945779472011-04-15T07:12:00.000-07:002011-04-15T07:15:58.857-07:00Technology and Diving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6atgDCaUg4m4g1KKKDoczcmsiv4oUCXWjsKjeiAQY4L7YhmElG5Z98BzrournvF40K9wGpA1LSuw44JWn3yDQpNFo6RsY_iFWlMNCDK_89DffkJinCaMYS_I2_fwARS9OwKzRl974RExz/s1600/IMGP1920+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6atgDCaUg4m4g1KKKDoczcmsiv4oUCXWjsKjeiAQY4L7YhmElG5Z98BzrournvF40K9wGpA1LSuw44JWn3yDQpNFo6RsY_iFWlMNCDK_89DffkJinCaMYS_I2_fwARS9OwKzRl974RExz/s320/IMGP1920+copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6atgDCaUg4m4g1KKKDoczcmsiv4oUCXWjsKjeiAQY4L7YhmElG5Z98BzrournvF40K9wGpA1LSuw44JWn3yDQpNFo6RsY_iFWlMNCDK_89DffkJinCaMYS_I2_fwARS9OwKzRl974RExz/s1600/IMGP1920+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6atgDCaUg4m4g1KKKDoczcmsiv4oUCXWjsKjeiAQY4L7YhmElG5Z98BzrournvF40K9wGpA1LSuw44JWn3yDQpNFo6RsY_iFWlMNCDK_89DffkJinCaMYS_I2_fwARS9OwKzRl974RExz/s1600/IMGP1920+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6atgDCaUg4m4g1KKKDoczcmsiv4oUCXWjsKjeiAQY4L7YhmElG5Z98BzrournvF40K9wGpA1LSuw44JWn3yDQpNFo6RsY_iFWlMNCDK_89DffkJinCaMYS_I2_fwARS9OwKzRl974RExz/s1600/IMGP1920+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6atgDCaUg4m4g1KKKDoczcmsiv4oUCXWjsKjeiAQY4L7YhmElG5Z98BzrournvF40K9wGpA1LSuw44JWn3yDQpNFo6RsY_iFWlMNCDK_89DffkJinCaMYS_I2_fwARS9OwKzRl974RExz/s1600/IMGP1920+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
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Following diving through it's history it can be seen the sport has greatly benefited in technology advanced. The diving board itself has undergone a massive makeover, the original "springboard" diving board was in fact merely a wooden plank covered with a coconut mat and didn't really offer very much spring. A major difference from todays boards made from fiberglass and a fulcrum to adjust the stiffness of the board.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TN-DmYt9UlozaQqFnKgF-GLPjbjdbYImiIt1zGqQsGU0blUs2kojQgLexI3GSOvQ1X9X49vhO8UgWcGhztnrzkl3UXaoDhBVenD-NUj_XNjgdWNMOhY5zkqDioz6mvYtPFnYN_MNXRyV/s1600/IMG_1274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TN-DmYt9UlozaQqFnKgF-GLPjbjdbYImiIt1zGqQsGU0blUs2kojQgLexI3GSOvQ1X9X49vhO8UgWcGhztnrzkl3UXaoDhBVenD-NUj_XNjgdWNMOhY5zkqDioz6mvYtPFnYN_MNXRyV/s320/IMG_1274.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>The new boards allow the diver to flex the board to whatever degree gives them the maximum height potential, and these developments have allowed for more advanced tricks to be possible. Back in 1904 there were only 14 dives performed off platforms and 20 on the springboard, compared to over 85 platform dives and 60 springboard dives in 2000. None of these would have been possible without the technology advancesOne of the people credited with developing a springier board is Ernst Brandsten, sometimes called the "Father of diving".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.cornucopia3d.com/purchase.php?item_id=402</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span></span><br />
Apart from the board the sport has benefited massively in other areas as well. The training facilities have become far more advanced thanks to technology and now include trampolines, pulling rigs, dry boards, and plenty of gymnastics mats to make for soft landing. <br />
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Spargers are now commonly used as well. These bubble machine were invented in the 1960's by Herb Flewwellyn. Before this divers had to rely on not crashing in order to avoid soft landings though through the use of the machines are able to break the surface tension and soften the landing in case the diver misses the entry and lands in a front or back flop. Spargers work by creating a mass of bubbles in the center of the diving well creating a softer landing since the surface tension is constantly being broken. While they are still expensive today technology advances have led to these machines being far more accessible and affordable.<br />
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<div style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">This</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"> </span></span><a href="http://diving.isport.com/diving-history/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">article</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #eeeeee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">has more information regarding these developments and this history of the sport.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-89635505144104038692011-04-12T17:41:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:41:47.693-07:00Lesson From Physics- Learning to Dive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3puWkyDoDtNp9gf-B-3I7ZH48qHsa301NWX4KB-kksarfxKC9xWAi0XhEu993DPH00Elt4qAq9-vz3vIrNp69NZQeZwNJUAXsTrcmyRj7nX3SFrbea9-dLw8EGR-TQGHnH9Z7fGX1HAA/s1600/n521709119_1946793_2601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3puWkyDoDtNp9gf-B-3I7ZH48qHsa301NWX4KB-kksarfxKC9xWAi0XhEu993DPH00Elt4qAq9-vz3vIrNp69NZQeZwNJUAXsTrcmyRj7nX3SFrbea9-dLw8EGR-TQGHnH9Z7fGX1HAA/s320/n521709119_1946793_2601.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3puWkyDoDtNp9gf-B-3I7ZH48qHsa301NWX4KB-kksarfxKC9xWAi0XhEu993DPH00Elt4qAq9-vz3vIrNp69NZQeZwNJUAXsTrcmyRj7nX3SFrbea9-dLw8EGR-TQGHnH9Z7fGX1HAA/s1600/n521709119_1946793_2601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This video describes a few lessons I learned thanks to physics when learning how to dive a few years ago. Fortunately my teammates were kind enough to not actually have photo or video evidence of these lessons learned. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz5EaUfUSaR-pfUmDxOx3wVNb6JB3DN6quanFNVusKCV0jFO16cFgavBwnKQAtEynj5jz9i1L2kUJ5UyfMvpQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-59420788331677678542011-04-11T20:52:00.000-07:002011-04-11T20:52:58.596-07:00Diving Injuries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhm9XbDwue_cr1xqNNJr2gQmh5Q17UDWaN1bXZBxNeJ6lhyphenhyphen1M7XJwnSZkc7BryW77RgZ_AfJwqm5YRv5V_Cgd8lX35f6pSvb3wciHRHMlYBHz02gML3UPx_8Mt3fgRjtcX_88fXB-kZwd/s1600/n521709119_1946704_838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhm9XbDwue_cr1xqNNJr2gQmh5Q17UDWaN1bXZBxNeJ6lhyphenhyphen1M7XJwnSZkc7BryW77RgZ_AfJwqm5YRv5V_Cgd8lX35f6pSvb3wciHRHMlYBHz02gML3UPx_8Mt3fgRjtcX_88fXB-kZwd/s320/n521709119_1946704_838.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><br />
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In comparison to gymnastics diving is a relatively safe sport and compared to gymnastics places much less stress on the body , though there are a few common injuries.<br />
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One of the most common injuries is what is called "smacking", when the diver doesn't have a clean entrance and belly/back flops. Even off of the 1-m board this can welts and bruising, as most divers learn several times throughout their careers. While this hurts it rarely causes any serious physical damage however creates a mental challenge. Dry land training, through the use of dry boards and trampolines with pulling rigs helps prevent these injuries as the diver is able to practice the dives before doing them into the water. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The result of a back one and a half...<br />
or what we call back one and a splats</td></tr>
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Spargers, or bubble machines, are also used for platform diving and occasionally under the 3m boards. These machine break the surface tension so even if the diver flops, there is no damage done. For platform diving, particularly off 10m, serious bruising and injuries can happen from smacking from such a great height. Not only in it physically less painful to land in the bubbles, it also makes attempting new dive much less scary knowing that no matter what it won't hurt too badly.<br />
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One of the other major worries in diving is hitting the board or platform, which happens occasionally even to experienced divers. Very rarely a diver will hit their head on the board, commonly resulting in a concussion and possibly stitches. This is a very uncommon occurrence, though it does happen and it quite frightening to see happen even if no injuries occur. Usually when the diver hits the board it with the hands or feet resulting in minor scrapes or bruises, though it can result in fractures if the diver hits hard enough. Hitting the hands on the board is most common in reverse dives due to not traveling far enough forward before going backwards into the dive. <div><br />
</div><div> Most of these injuries are a result of a poor takeoff from the board or the platform. Without a good takeoff the diver has a bigger challenge getting the necessary height and distance required to complete the dive. I've had my share of smacks, and a few minor run ins with the board, and while no serious injuries have occurred the biggest challenge was overcoming the fear sparked from messing up.<div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I stumbled upon a rather interesting post about the safest shape for trampolines. In gymnastics and diving trampolines are used frequently in order to provide assistance with learning new tricks. Sometimes there are safety harnesses/pulling rigs attached to the trampolines as well. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In general tramplines have always petrified me, unless they had a harness attached to it. Even the ones that are essentially built into the floor and surrounded by mats scare me so this was an interesting find. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7OV-hla3TwVceuYl4t1X_uaQdGQPKwLaRrrljZ9u6IBB4lWpn7YcD9wsZ4LN7yhzMQhynKErrGtTm63rf9N86jrC_4cShICJ_N86iwBeh6TdIrNM7_IPEQWxsbfthrUL2Hsbtng78Ylt/s1600/Thumb_OverheadRig400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7OV-hla3TwVceuYl4t1X_uaQdGQPKwLaRrrljZ9u6IBB4lWpn7YcD9wsZ4LN7yhzMQhynKErrGtTm63rf9N86jrC_4cShICJ_N86iwBeh6TdIrNM7_IPEQWxsbfthrUL2Hsbtng78Ylt/s1600/Thumb_OverheadRig400.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.monstermarketplace.com/"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.monstermarketplace.com</span></a><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On average the distance from the center to any edge is greater for round trampoline however the likelihood of falling off the trampoline is greatest in only one direction, the one that is inline with the person on the trampoline. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Due to the physics involved with the trampolines it was Sundance's opinion that the rectangular trampolines are the safest. In the trampolines the springs criss-cross with each other in order to create a relatively even bounce over the entire trampoline, making jumping not directly in the center still alright. This creates a softer and better controlled bounce because the springs that are at the end of the rails stretch less than the ones in the middle causing greater vertical travel... which in my opinion just means the trampoline is a little scarrier. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Compared to circular trampolines the rectangular ones require stronger and heavier materials because majority of the stress is located on the center portions of the rails. While this costs more to build it is also stronger and losts longer. </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.midwestgymsupply.com/meets-events.php">http://www.midwestgymsupply.com/meets-events.php</a></td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All of this makes sense as to why you only see rectangular trampolines in gymnastics gyms, for competitions and even for diving training. While the shape may be safer I still preffer the ones with the pulling rigs so you can't fall off, and have the ability to gain additional height and perform a greater number of flips, which is particularly useful for diving. </div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-45348315226028162832011-04-05T08:49:00.000-07:002011-04-05T08:49:35.180-07:00Making A Splash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQd9wCnPo3dDznNv8tlBOB6FMmmslzJ931DW3TkWAzTRMNOIL3bQkL1arj-9P1FpYyKH0NdsqLbAM3ngSwk6Xs-5CZvRRUssx8dWLj0uTNDPM4NFEMRhTmxgg0yOI674_5qLnn771-mc1/s1600/n521709119_1945968_1487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQd9wCnPo3dDznNv8tlBOB6FMmmslzJ931DW3TkWAzTRMNOIL3bQkL1arj-9P1FpYyKH0NdsqLbAM3ngSwk6Xs-5CZvRRUssx8dWLj0uTNDPM4NFEMRhTmxgg0yOI674_5qLnn771-mc1/s320/n521709119_1945968_1487.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQd9wCnPo3dDznNv8tlBOB6FMmmslzJ931DW3TkWAzTRMNOIL3bQkL1arj-9P1FpYyKH0NdsqLbAM3ngSwk6Xs-5CZvRRUssx8dWLj0uTNDPM4NFEMRhTmxgg0yOI674_5qLnn771-mc1/s1600/n521709119_1945968_1487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In diving, similar to gymnastics, the athlete wants to jump as high as they can in order to allow for maximum rotations and flips. In diving however one loses the spring filled floor and replaces it with the diving board to give them more height. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So just how much higher can one jump on a springboard than on the ground?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The answer found was almost twice as high according to this <a href="http://www.unc.edu/~lahol/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">study</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">. </span>It was found that a 150 lb person can jump 0.52m off the ground of 0.92m off of a diving board! This was found by using a person who had a crouch height, the amount which the person bends down before jumping of 0.4m and a spring constant of 833N/m. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFm9nDD8YQJD8B-S9Sy7fqQM14onGOn6FHKgw9dZhApbb5BjTKo1Xn-E1V7p3utTsxsyK30_TSKibfNJpeQ6p4hJzhLFpvi2b3GZyXRTlXvdPwniAHYW7n5MQtgUyynszbGEkwBKwv7l0/s1600/divingboardfulcrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFm9nDD8YQJD8B-S9Sy7fqQM14onGOn6FHKgw9dZhApbb5BjTKo1Xn-E1V7p3utTsxsyK30_TSKibfNJpeQ6p4hJzhLFpvi2b3GZyXRTlXvdPwniAHYW7n5MQtgUyynszbGEkwBKwv7l0/s200/divingboardfulcrum.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In addition to this the diving board contains a fulcrum allowing the diver to essentially change the spring constant of the board, though they must also consider where they can get the best timing with the board. If the diver moves the fulcrum closer to the tip of the board the spring constant is fairly large, and the board provides a higher resistance to force and decreases the depression of the board. When the fulcrum however is moved closer to the stand of the board, the spring constant decreases, creating less resistance to force and a higher depression of the board. It was found in this study by decreasing the spring constant as much as possible the test subject was able to increase their jump height from 0.92m to 1.2 m!! This means that if the diver has the board adjusted to the right spring constant and has the correct timing with the board they can more than double the height they could achieve on the ground.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In addition to the height achieved from the board alone the diver uses an approach with a hurdle before the take off of the dive. The hurdle is a little jump up, then landing back on the board for the takeoff of the dive. This creates a larger force on the board, also increasing their height. Then there is always the additional height of however high the board is above the water (1-10 m). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">No wonder when watching diving it seems as if they are flying and that they are able to achieve so many flips and twists before they enter the water. </span>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-42143220170480479362011-04-05T07:54:00.000-07:002011-04-12T17:42:16.644-07:00Negative Impacts of Stretching<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://ericwongmma.com/hip-mobility-exercise-for-mma/</td></tr>
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As a young gymnast stretching before practice was always a big deal, almost a tradition. I stumbled upon an<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.wholebodyvibrationmachine.com/files/1653108/uploaded/explosive-strength-gymnasts.pdf">article</a> </span>describing research on how stretching before practice may actually be detrimental. While it is highly agreed upon that the range of motion of a gymnast is critical to their performances it was found in this study that using slow and static stretching may help increase flexibility however can also cause a loss of maximum strength, power and explosive performance. <br />
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While flexibility is important so is strength and power, this definitely creates a dilemma for many gymnasts since stretching during warm-up is not only a tradition but also a way to help the athlete achieve certain positions during practice/competitions and help avoid pulling muscles. <br />
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This study looked into the vibration method of stretching an alternative to the traditional slow and static stretches. They figured this may be a method which would help increase the athletes range of motion while not impacting the athletes strength and power. <br />
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Explosive strength according to this study "is defined as the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce dynamic force rapidly in an open kinetic-chain movement, such as jumping, in which rate of force development is at or near maximum". The major component of this is the rate of force development, which is related to the acceleration of the gymnast. This is very important to gymnasts for they must have high explosive strength in order to perform their jumps and tumbling passed on beam and floor. It's even critical for bars and vault, watch how quickly they must use that strength to perform the moves. <br />
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The study performed examined 22 female athletes. These athletes were then broken into flexibility and explosive strength groups. For the flexibility studies 7 were stretching only, 8 were vibration techniques only and for the strength group 8 were stretching only and 7 were vibration only. Flexibility for these tests was measured by having the athletes in the split position and measuring the height between the ground and the spine, where as the explosive strength was measured by flight time, instantaneous forces, jump heigh and flight time.<br />
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<div>The finding of this study concluded that adding the vibration techniques to a stretching routine will increase the athletes flexibility while still maintaing their jumping ability. Both methods were found to increase flexibility but the vibration methods were found to increase the flexibility without a loss of explosive strength. </div><div><br />
</div><div>It's a little crazy to hear about these studies since stretching before practice has been occurring since the beginning of the sport. The ability to research impacts on the body and alternatives to stretching has greatly increased over the past years, but I never expected to be told that the static stretches gymnastics has been built on had negative impacts as well. </div><div><br />
</div><div>It seems as though some of the new technologies and the findings they lead to may have something to do with why it seems sports in general are always moving forward and a faster time or harder move is being achieved. The ability to find these impacts on the body allow athletes to train in a manner which allows them to increase their strength and flexibility and push their bodies beyond what has been done before. </div><div><br />
</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-24114491046632423232011-04-04T21:52:00.000-07:002011-04-04T21:52:34.906-07:00Common Injuries-Lower Body<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrX4y6zWsiF2iwufni7G7hD7iPoTF8eGLLrTAH9XI2dGyAyTc6Ebyjg_vE_kCxvNweJgiDm6nNwePvYZdeHdwDf0wbTj0vd8B0mvVeGe7IPNRgHy_tbF919CvmN80wZ28AaCEGs_L1XD1/s1600/_MG_5074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrX4y6zWsiF2iwufni7G7hD7iPoTF8eGLLrTAH9XI2dGyAyTc6Ebyjg_vE_kCxvNweJgiDm6nNwePvYZdeHdwDf0wbTj0vd8B0mvVeGe7IPNRgHy_tbF919CvmN80wZ28AaCEGs_L1XD1/s320/_MG_5074.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrX4y6zWsiF2iwufni7G7hD7iPoTF8eGLLrTAH9XI2dGyAyTc6Ebyjg_vE_kCxvNweJgiDm6nNwePvYZdeHdwDf0wbTj0vd8B0mvVeGe7IPNRgHy_tbF919CvmN80wZ28AaCEGs_L1XD1/s1600/_MG_5074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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In addition to the common injuries in the upper body for gymnasts are those to the lower body These injuries are commonly to the knees and ankles from the landing and dismount activities involved in the all of the gymnasts routines. <a href="http://www.sportsmed.org/secure/reveal/admin/uploads/documents/ST%20Gymnastics%2008.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">SportsMED</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> </span>again had a lot of interesting information on these injuries as well.<br />
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When a gymnast lands "short" or over rotates when vaulting, tumbling or performing a dismount anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) injuries to the knee can occur. This is because the "short" and over rotated landing positions can cause extra stress on the knee and well as twisting it away from its normal position. This is one of the worse injuries for gymnasts because it often requires a reconstruction of the ligament and only about 65 percent of the athletes are able to return to the same level of athletics as before.<br />
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Injuries to the Achilles Tendon, located on the back of the heel, is also very common among gymnasts due to the repetitive jumping and landing activities. Injuries to the tendon are often aggravated by continued jumping and stress on the body and is often treated through rest and stretching.<br />
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The one other injury that was said to common to gymnasts is a meniscus injury to the knee, again due to continuous jumping, landing and twisting. The meniscus "is a horseshoe-shaped band of fibrocartilage in the knee which acts as a shock absorber." Often this injury also requires a surgical repair which involves removing a torn piece of the meniscus or repairing the tear, with something resembling permanent stitches to my understanding.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What is interesting to me is that almost all of the injuries come from the impact of the continuous landings and from overuse, yet typically gymnasts have very intense training schedules which seems like a wonderful recipe for getting hurt. Granted mats are often placed at the end of the beam, vault and other apparatuses for the gymnast to perform their dismounts on to. This definitely help absorb some of the impact, and make falls less critical to the gymnast, but doesn't completely prevent injuries. </span></span></span><br />
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In addition to overuse and impact injuries, theres always the insane crashes that occur in the sport when something goes wrong or the gymnast loses focus... ouch.<br />
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Gymnastics id definitely a very physically demanding sport and combined with the complexity of the routines creates a very high risk for injuries. The most common injuries gymnasts face in the are often for overuse and stress and occur in the ankles, knees, the shoulders, the wrists and hands. For now I'm going to focus on the injuries occurring in the upper body.<br />
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In gymnastics the upper body is essentially used as a weight-bearing joint which makes the shoulder, elbow and wrists very susceptible to injuries. While there are many injuries that can occur there are several according to<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> </span><a href="http://www.sportsmed.org/secure/reveal/admin/uploads/documents/ST%20Gymnastics%2008.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">SportsMED</span></a> that are a little more unique to gymnasts.<br />
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One of the these injuries is in the Superior Labrum, or the cartilage of the shoulder. Anterior-posterior lesions in the shoulder (SLAP) often occur in male gymnasts on the rings though they can occur during any exercise. This essentially happens from a shoulder dislocation which causes a tear in the shoulder. Most often this is treated with arthroscopic surgery.<br />
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This is actually an injury I have experienced myself and had treated with arthroscopic surgery, though it wasn't from gymnastics the problems with my shoulders began in my years of gymnastics. The surgery to my delight left only 3 very small scars which are barely noticeable and despite being stuck in a sling for almost 6 months the surgery was very effective and has made that shoulder much more stable.<br />
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The other two injuries that are somewhat unique to gymnasts I thankfully have not experienced. These are elbow dislocations and wrist sprains. Elbow dislocations are common because of the amount of pressure constantly placed on the elbows, and the overuse of the joint since it used in all of the events for everything from tumbling to swinging on the bars and rings. This is an injury which often doesn't require surgery however ligament tears are common from putting the elbow back into place.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #daaa36; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #daaa36; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wrist sprains are very common because in gymnastics the wrist is often subjected to forces which exceed twice the body weight. This is because of the momentum involved in so many of the tricks. Since force= mass*acceleration, the acceleration of the gymnast into tumbling passes causes a greater amount of force on the wrists. The only real treatment for this is rest and and avoiding pressure on the wrists for awhile. </span></span></span></span><br />
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I've never really thought about the fact that running into tumbling passes can increase the force on the body and therefor increasing the risk of injury as well but it makes a lot of sense. Combined with the constant rigorous training that and the fact that overuse is the most common cause of injuries definitely explains why it always seemed like one teammate or another was out with an injury.<br />
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</span></span>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-24227475682015058732011-04-03T17:17:00.000-07:002011-04-03T17:17:19.250-07:00Jumping Inefficiency<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2GFBUhk2APrg-oQMoe_xkAH2pcPnVtx5QDpsQ0isdVk6QZCEgsNinuNNQDQ3cCIWe9XI6xDn8L-XgbvPuGUUbhviBFm-cJwOK7FcRnlfF9GPMtEZ7Kl7MmYaOsxniEHpW2cUQFCHroRs/s1600/IMG_5121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2GFBUhk2APrg-oQMoe_xkAH2pcPnVtx5QDpsQ0isdVk6QZCEgsNinuNNQDQ3cCIWe9XI6xDn8L-XgbvPuGUUbhviBFm-cJwOK7FcRnlfF9GPMtEZ7Kl7MmYaOsxniEHpW2cUQFCHroRs/s320/IMG_5121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2GFBUhk2APrg-oQMoe_xkAH2pcPnVtx5QDpsQ0isdVk6QZCEgsNinuNNQDQ3cCIWe9XI6xDn8L-XgbvPuGUUbhviBFm-cJwOK7FcRnlfF9GPMtEZ7Kl7MmYaOsxniEHpW2cUQFCHroRs/s1600/IMG_5121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><br />
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The inefficiency of the spring floors and in the vault spring boards was never really something I considered. This was a topic brought up in a section of an article called <a href="http://www.popsci.com/know-your-olympic-sport/article/2008-08/bend-it-science-gymnastics?page=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Jump and Jive</span></a> which I found quite interesting. Interesting results were obtained from an experiment performed examining high quality videos of gymnasts jumping.<br />
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What they found was that they gymnast would do an extra down and up when jumping on the flooe or springboards. They took high-speed footage discovered that this inefficiency was actually do to the floor itself. The problem lies in the floor/springboard essentially being "out of tune". They compared this to a diving board, because you can move the fulcrum on he board to make it behave how you want it to so that you get the correct rhythm and you fall on the board when the board is still going down. If you were to jump on it when it's going up energy is wasted. So the problem with the floor and springboards is that the gymnast is wasting energy by jumping on the apparatus that is not in tune. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnUKw9aeq3tOLuFiEApc2C3s8UaCg-gmhcXxZkpVTeVxiojfxAoaVbK-dMmwdSnYVD0EBUKHjl58nIET0rnTNtwFYOuPvanx50Rp856h2ZFFY6NJWnwoq99b4fxPGYZYshVLlxXXxBoDf/s1600/coil-spring-board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnUKw9aeq3tOLuFiEApc2C3s8UaCg-gmhcXxZkpVTeVxiojfxAoaVbK-dMmwdSnYVD0EBUKHjl58nIET0rnTNtwFYOuPvanx50Rp856h2ZFFY6NJWnwoq99b4fxPGYZYshVLlxXXxBoDf/s320/coil-spring-board.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.aboutballet.com/vaulting-boards-c-594.html</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The video of this wasn't able to be directly linked but it can be found <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1740031126?bctid=1740029220"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">.</span><br />
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Some solutions for this including lowering the stiffness of the springs, however this causes a new problem of making the gymnasts travel too far on their tumbling passes. It was said that<br />
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"Combined spring/foam floors could offer some opportunity for improvement but further research is necessary. Linking the issue to injuries or performance is premature at this point, but Sands knows the current situation is not optimal." <div><br />
</div><div>The other downside to the issue is that this is also putting a lot of strain on the athletes legs because in order to counter the inefficiency they must increase their own strength. In other words the inefficiency and the extra strain makes for a pretty good recipe for strain related injuries, such as rupturing an Achilles tendon. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In school it seems like we talk a lot about the efficiency of our designs from an engineering perspective so this is interesting to see how what seems like a very small inefficiency can cause a lot of problems for athletes. It will definitely be interesting over the next few years to see just what they come up with.<br />
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</div></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-26676286483991216802011-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:05:11.946-07:00Acrobatic Gymnastics<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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So this is news to me, there is such a thing as acrobatic gymnastics. Granted after thinking about it I realized it's very similar to cirque du soleil, I just never realiazed they actually had competitions and such for it. This requires many of the same elements of gymnastics however the only aparatus used is the floor, and the team mates. <br />
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</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These exercises are performed in groups of 2, 3 or 4 athletes and there are both balance and dynamic routines. The dynamic routines consist of the catches, flips, and the high flying throws, and the balance routines are partner balncing and pyramids in static positons. After a certain level is reached there are combined routines combining the balance and dynamic elements. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just like regular gymnastics these athletes perform skills which seem to defy physics, and seemingly what the human body should be capable of. These skills require an imense amount of strength and body control to overcome gravity and hold some the positions. A few of the holds are shown below. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The physics of these routines again goes back to Newtons Laws of physics. <span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"></span></span></span>Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and is also inversely proportional to the mass of the object.What this means to the worls of gymnastics is that in order for the acceleration of the gymnast to increase, the force acting upon her must increase as well.For acrpbratic gymnastics a large amount of the force required for acceleration comes from the team member who is the base, or the one throwing the gymnast.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Newton's Third Law states that for every action there in an equal and opposite reaction. This is shown in the static holds seen in the pictures, without this law the gymnasts would not be able to use one another to hold each other up, or the floor for that matter. When performing the holds and flips, the gymnasts are exerting the same amount of force on one another, and the floor is also exerting the same amount of force on them as they are on it. <br />
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Here is a video montage from the 2008 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships. They are performing in teams, some times in unison, but more frequently doing almost circus like tricks with the help of one another. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/Lj_SyCrFwkE/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lj_SyCrFwkE&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lj_SyCrFwkE&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Regular gymnastics to me is difficult enough with the amount of strength and body control, as well as the metal aspect, I can't even begin to comprehend training for acrobatics. Not only is there your own physical ability and trust in yourself, but there is an immense amount of trust in your partners strength and timing. I just can't imagine training for something like this.</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-77434024326786573002011-03-06T22:13:00.000-08:002011-03-23T13:12:46.154-07:00Evolution Of Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgaPYwF9HMTBRZvEVCBU5lBQaLayKtRIfU7y52Fy6qvzU5bqjkS9A2-Wt0CBDTmPiGdUO_Eq0G7i6-HwIB6yEXSmmsfZ6LvgXwS-e4I7il14HOFPKxj0PiNFopomFIA78AY8wBxcbf97N/s1600/ParallelBars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgaPYwF9HMTBRZvEVCBU5lBQaLayKtRIfU7y52Fy6qvzU5bqjkS9A2-Wt0CBDTmPiGdUO_Eq0G7i6-HwIB6yEXSmmsfZ6LvgXwS-e4I7il14HOFPKxj0PiNFopomFIA78AY8wBxcbf97N/s320/ParallelBars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgaPYwF9HMTBRZvEVCBU5lBQaLayKtRIfU7y52Fy6qvzU5bqjkS9A2-Wt0CBDTmPiGdUO_Eq0G7i6-HwIB6yEXSmmsfZ6LvgXwS-e4I7il14HOFPKxj0PiNFopomFIA78AY8wBxcbf97N/s1600/ParallelBars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The uneven bars started out much closer together and the tricks were performed at a slower speed. This amazes me that they were able to do some of those tricks and how much more there bodies came into contact with the bars than they do now. The bars are so far apart now, there are very few skills performed in between the two bars, the tricks seem to have primarily migrated towards the high bar. While bars in the 50's-80's and now all involve two bars, the way they were used almost makes them seem like two entirely different events. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>This video is a little long but pretty amazing to see how much the uneven bars have changed from the 50's to now and intrigued me to look further into how and why they changed. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uneven_bars"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ead1dc;">Wikipedia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ead1dc;"> </span>actually provided a very good background on the evolution.<br />
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Of all four events found in women's gymnastics the uneven bars have undergone the most radical changes. Most of the moves seen in the video from the 50's and 60's are completely obsolete from the sport now, due to the increased difficulty and shift toward more acrobatic tricks in routines as well as some of the static holds not being permitted. Many of the other moves, such as the beats and wraps seen in the video, are now physically impossible due to the bars being much further apart.<br />
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Originally this event was the same as the men's parallel bars, only one of the bars was raised slightly to create the different heights which is why the bars were originally so close together. This is why the earlier routines of the 50's consisted of simple circles, kips and some static holds and towards the end of the century the routines began to become more fluid and more difficult moves were executed. <br />
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It wasn't until the early 1970's that the uneven bars began getting manufactured as a separate apparatus. Due to no longer being the same as the men's parallel bars, there were design changes made in order to allow the bars to be adjustable. There were tension cables introduced that held the bars to floor allowing the bars to be spaced further apart from one another. Due to this the moves began to shift towards more swinging moves, so the circumference of the bars was actually made smaller to allow the gymnasts to do so more easily.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30uAbeJAva3mPFGHXHbc0Ww_mA6F_0sVY-hRaAmqZhh_BFiPpht8ABxJFrHPe7EsvGmEM2UbdER-FovZJvJjVdI5q8271WUH7d-YzuE-BPyOEiDCROuPHUo744oyP13P0ETM3Bjd26Ke4/s1600/new_bars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30uAbeJAva3mPFGHXHbc0Ww_mA6F_0sVY-hRaAmqZhh_BFiPpht8ABxJFrHPe7EsvGmEM2UbdER-FovZJvJjVdI5q8271WUH7d-YzuE-BPyOEiDCROuPHUo744oyP13P0ETM3Bjd26Ke4/s320/new_bars.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Bars - Picture from SA Sports </td></tr>
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It didn't take much longer, only to the mid 1980's, for the routines to become primarily focused around swinging moves and releases which caused the bars to be moved even further apart. The moves continued to increase in difficulty and this required the bars to be continued to move further apart to where they are now.<br />
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Its definitely interesting to see how much has changed when it comes to this event, while I feel like all the tricks past and present are amazing, I definitely wish there were some more of the old tricks seen in routines today.Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-90297762563801735192011-03-03T19:08:00.000-08:002011-03-23T13:12:12.443-07:00Vaulting Shoes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gl8A3B_v3EQ1soEnXzHZJugfYN6DBKOW2Lonj94npoRGc1JLpTSPEqzkhCz3pjibWYZ1yG_y1M3whSeATBUiXCPizws0QB3bGkh64sZMtvfody4-QTclpY16xOqZb9FU1vnOPVEhLGbC/s1600/nike-pidima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gl8A3B_v3EQ1soEnXzHZJugfYN6DBKOW2Lonj94npoRGc1JLpTSPEqzkhCz3pjibWYZ1yG_y1M3whSeATBUiXCPizws0QB3bGkh64sZMtvfody4-QTclpY16xOqZb9FU1vnOPVEhLGbC/s1600/nike-pidima.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture From Nike </td></tr>
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So I may be a few years out of the loop seeing as its been years since I've been involved in competitive gymnastics, and watching it on television often caused me to deeply miss the sport. I stumbled upon an article though about the Nike show, the Pidima (greek for leap) , designed specifically for gymnasts and apparently used in the olympics. This is the smallest shoe which Nike makes and is specifically designed to meet the need of world-class gymnasts, specifically while vaulting. I had never heard of such a thing as a "vaulting shoe" as we always vaulted bare foot, so I was quite intrigued. <br />
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So what is the advantage to any vaulting shoe? <br />
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This <a href="http://www.notcot.com/archives/2008/04/nike-olympic-so.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #d5a6bd;">article</span></a> from notcot.com helped my understanding of the shoes the most. Since vault is an event in which the athlete must run as fast as they can in a limited distance then jump with a high force off the vault, this shoe was designed to improve the speed of the run and control during both the approach to the vault and the landing. These shoes are suppose to be able to help the gymnast achieve the maximum velocity during the run so they can achieve maximum height during the trick, allowing for maximum rotations, both flipping and twisting. The shoe was designed with a rubber traction system on the bottom, which is what is suppose to improve speed and control. There is what was described as a slightness of material, making it so the foot would feel as bare as possible. <br />
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So, from what I can tell, the gymnast increases their speed on the vault runway, therefore increasing the forced which they hit the springboard with. Since the force which they are hitting the springboard with is greater, the height which the gymnast reaches after leaving the vault is increased, giving them both a higher velocity to perform tricks and a greater air time in which to perform them.<br />
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The video shown above shows some amazing vaults from way back when to 2009; many of performed barefoot from what I can tell though some had vaulting shoes. So I'm not sure if these shoes really work to improve vaults, or if maybe more men use them than women. I've been out of the sport so long to know the whole story behind them, but there were olympic athletes using them so they are legal in the sport.<br />
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</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-91204798958265380872011-02-28T12:13:00.000-08:002011-02-28T12:13:25.526-08:00Giants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1XSM5EsDqntabRphaR7odyy0H_N4c0e7dX-SWkcQcDR3BvFPcXaUj9aX9XETZ1mehXZ54JoEPQW13JUcNs_CtZaHihnLISkjcJrq4nN3KUYaMr1bDC1nQTTdZKDsEYknQUwD3KShyphenhyphenUDY/s1600/_MG_5071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1XSM5EsDqntabRphaR7odyy0H_N4c0e7dX-SWkcQcDR3BvFPcXaUj9aX9XETZ1mehXZ54JoEPQW13JUcNs_CtZaHihnLISkjcJrq4nN3KUYaMr1bDC1nQTTdZKDsEYknQUwD3KShyphenhyphenUDY/s320/_MG_5071.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a name='more'></a>One of the many skills I wish I had learned when I was doing competitive gymnastics is the giant, and have recently been attempting to learn this skill. Though looking at how it's technically possible turns out to be far easier than actually accomplishing it!! Yet again one more skill that makes me have way more respect for all the young kids out there that have the guts to go for it!<br />
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Giants are a deceptively simple looking skill performed by both men and women on bars, in which the gymnast executes a full 360 degree rotation about the high bar. This picture demonstrates how the move is executed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ewAZqF-YNmSF6-iAcuLOHUFu0EZM9PgE19vwkgbcgouTuxbgHEvesewJvk9XZoVuiuztDk0ALwFkw3wz9q1mRMXCBs0ar78BWrrCPb-wEnON47O3xn-_mqD_U5XI80zNoCtIQJMOS-3H/s1600/Giant%252Boverlay+M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ewAZqF-YNmSF6-iAcuLOHUFu0EZM9PgE19vwkgbcgouTuxbgHEvesewJvk9XZoVuiuztDk0ALwFkw3wz9q1mRMXCBs0ar78BWrrCPb-wEnON47O3xn-_mqD_U5XI80zNoCtIQJMOS-3H/s320/Giant%252Boverlay+M.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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When executing this skill there are two main forces which must be overcome: Gravity and Friction. In this case air resistance can be neglected because compared to the forces of gravity on the body and friction between the gymnasts hands and the bar, air resistance has very little effect on the circling body. <div><br />
</div><div>One of the tricks to performing this skill is what is called a "tap" which is performed at the bottom of the circle. The tap is essentially a quick motion where the top of the body continues to accelerate while the feet temporarily remain still. The effect of this is the gymnast shortens his or her radius which in turn causes an increased acceleration of the entire body. This increased acceleration is one on the major components to overcoming gravity. There are several incorrect ways in which gymnasts attempt to increase their rotation, one of the most common is arching the back (also shortens the radius however isn't proper technique).<br />
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In the picture shown up top one of my friends is doing a giant on a "strap bar". The purpose of this bar is to eliminate a great deal of friction as well as the fear of falling since the hands are attached to the bar so one can't let go. This helps greatly with learning the skill but is greatly different since on the actual bar there is friction between the hands and the bar (which is lessened through the use of chalk).<br />
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</span></span></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-52795899703461110902011-02-23T11:41:00.000-08:002011-02-23T11:41:39.700-08:00Video Capture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGoGkiHjpE7dxNi_Dwvsr_8Bn53JbCq1Eel-c3n2MrNJHp6DhEJu0K9Rw3VTGQ-UPZRdhkImJQgcKCR_2hA-7Tqlvtnf1gVPGMrAwgNQTuy_VjlsaBLLNwXVDpa9S_1Zj88yrQAkiAW05/s1600/pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGoGkiHjpE7dxNi_Dwvsr_8Bn53JbCq1Eel-c3n2MrNJHp6DhEJu0K9Rw3VTGQ-UPZRdhkImJQgcKCR_2hA-7Tqlvtnf1gVPGMrAwgNQTuy_VjlsaBLLNwXVDpa9S_1Zj88yrQAkiAW05/s320/pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a>Here is an interesting <a href="http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/pages/home/publications/technique/2002/10/technology.pdf">article </a>about the use of some new technologies in coaching gymnastics. This article talks specificly about the use of new video caputure systems. While "technology is becoming increasingly important for modern coaching as biomechanical and physiological testing and monitoring systems are becoming more accessible to the common coach," many coaches are hesitant to start using the technologies.<br />
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There three main concerns listed were a lack of understanding of the benefits of the technology, a lack of understanfing in how to use the actual equipment to perform analysis, and insufficient time to set up and learn the processes involved with using the technolgy. This is interesting considering all the discusion around science communication. These video systems provide major advantages to both coaches and athletes but aren't being used in many cases because they are intimidating and seem far too complex for the "common coach" to use. <br />
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There are some computer requirements that may limit some coaches, however the only other technologies that are needed are a video camcorder, a video capture card and an analysis software. This video capture system isn't just playing back a video of the athlete it is actually performing a motion analysis on the movement performed with the use of the software. These programs "allow software programs allow you to manipulate images, draw on the video to accentuate positions, and even perform simple quantitative measurements such as angles. Most software options allow you to split the screen and simultaneously show two (or more) different videos, perhaps of different trials of the same gymnast, or an expert gymnast versus a beginner." <br />
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Here's a video of an analysis of an athlete on high bar. Picture and video are from <a href="http://www.u-pregnancy-test.com/index.php?key=motion+pattern+matching">http://www.u-pregnancy-test.com/index.php?key=motion+pattern+matching</a>.<br />
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As technolgy is becoming more advanced it is begining to greatly impact not only the equipment used in sports but also the way sports are being coached. It's definitely interesting to see the communication issues with the emerging technologies, and how some coaches chose to go without it rather than learning about the new technologies. To me, this says something about how it's being presented since it has so many benfits yet so many shy away because it appears too complex.Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-50738897857195488482011-02-16T20:50:00.000-08:002011-03-23T13:11:41.409-07:00Science and the Age Debate<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA23b2yaOSOocoLQx5zqckL5oCmez_tnUfiSjQeRko4cmyuHES8zS3TB-z-eGq_PqhcU8KUfr_X7G8-7vy68wRhx8JaXfIXJtBWGjehbkEbplEEz2EUqk0ujwmcXTPn-EJvCpn0owIBpH/s1600/chinesegymnasts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA23b2yaOSOocoLQx5zqckL5oCmez_tnUfiSjQeRko4cmyuHES8zS3TB-z-eGq_PqhcU8KUfr_X7G8-7vy68wRhx8JaXfIXJtBWGjehbkEbplEEz2EUqk0ujwmcXTPn-EJvCpn0owIBpH/s320/chinesegymnasts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese Gymnasts</td></tr>
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This<a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1835485,00.html"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">article </span></a>from Time Magazine is a few years old, but quite interesting on the use of science to determine a gymnasts age. It seems to be coming a larger and larger debate as time goes on as to just how old some of the olympic gymnasts are and if there should be an age restriction. Currently The International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG) has set age restrictions at 16. Many of the Chinese gymnasts in particular were in question of the age restrictions, looking at the picture I can see why they do appear very young.<br />
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While sports science is becoming more advanced and can test for illegal substances, test for illnesses and even determine your gender, there is no way to determine an exact age. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been under a lot of pressure to address "age doping". This lack in scientific ability seems to be a rising issue and olympic and other elite gymnasts appear to be getting younger and younger and ignoring the age restrictions.<br />
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There are some methods available to scientifically determine ages, however these tests are only accurate with a year or two. One interesting method was the use of dental records. Through the examination of the records it can be determined how long a person has been living since how worn the teeth are directly relates to age. However this also has a certainty of two years. This amount of uncertainty is too large when the ages in question are only about 14-16 years old. The article also said that "Most of these are also based on forensic approaches and have not been used to screen for age in living people." <br />
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Another approach scientists have began taking is examining is bones. One experimental method is MRI's of wrist bones which show to what extent the bones have fused. Bones fuse with age, so in theory the older the athlete the more fused the bones would be. This has one major downfall though, bones don't fuse the same way in females, so this test is only applicable to males. There are other bones in the body too which can lend some insight to age, however still none that would be able to pinpoint an age as either 14 or 16. The best way for scientists seems to be a combination of examining bones and dental wear. The use of these methods is not in use by FIG however, and it is unlikely they will be with the amount of uncertainty involved.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/IkbkquSOvjk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The girl in this video is only 6!!! She's obviously talented and training pretty hard even though she's nowhere near the age of being able to compete in the olympics or other international competitions. Granted this doesn't keep her out of local and state competitions. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>So why the age restrictions? FIG has set age restrictions in order to what they are calling "protecting" the athletes. Is there scientific evidence showing that allowing 14 year olds to compete in events such as the olympics is harmful? They allow gymnasts of any age to train rigorously, some even choosing homeschooling so they can focus more on training. One point about this is gymnastics is a sport where high difficulty is greatly rewarded, making training more intense. In theory by keeping the youngsters out of competition it should reduce their risks of injuries. Keeping them out of competitions at 14 however doesn't stop them from training for them if they have the skills. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxxgJOyWyZ3eWW8_QYUAppQiLVi5ra_EeDEKyiDODPexXRzQdL5_QNEkykzfc1R7voWo7ZG-L32nI4FI0I8brSoTDup7t4nsH-hH4_EucctrXSX4eHWtN2EeA8BMgnlUga_0PvM6IR8_S/s1600/_44814349_young_gymnasts226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxxgJOyWyZ3eWW8_QYUAppQiLVi5ra_EeDEKyiDODPexXRzQdL5_QNEkykzfc1R7voWo7ZG-L32nI4FI0I8brSoTDup7t4nsH-hH4_EucctrXSX4eHWtN2EeA8BMgnlUga_0PvM6IR8_S/s1600/_44814349_young_gymnasts226.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">This picture is from</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7507461.stm </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">They had another interesting article </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">about the age of gymnasts.</span> </div></td></tr>
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There's no scientific reasoning for the age restrictions or even to determine an exact age. I personally wonder if there should be an age restriction. These athletes at these levels are going to train just as hard whether they can compete at 14 or not, otherwise they wont have what it takes when they are 16. However at the same time I wonder without it where the line would be drawn and if there would be parents and coaches pushing 10 year old girls too far and forever destroying their bodies. At the same time though its an interesting paradox because most gymnasts begin as toddlers just playing around in the gym.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-47059188228361993622011-02-13T21:42:00.000-08:002011-03-23T13:10:43.286-07:00Stand on Your Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosIO4lNvgGRQM35ZQk1tcfuFuQos9YfTERgMjpqa19zzJwKryG5fk16qBV1DaiLxtuvMdBWi3vIARHYhA5qo6_N8x7b8-vtADQKagpHCJ829AIpuX5trThBlACkR-AAkQTDeEkjiB3Lr4/s1600/PC140108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosIO4lNvgGRQM35ZQk1tcfuFuQos9YfTERgMjpqa19zzJwKryG5fk16qBV1DaiLxtuvMdBWi3vIARHYhA5qo6_N8x7b8-vtADQKagpHCJ829AIpuX5trThBlACkR-AAkQTDeEkjiB3Lr4/s320/PC140108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Handstands are found in floor routines, beam routines, and both mens and womens bar routines. The handstand, one of the basic moves of gymnastics is a fun and relatively easy move to learn in its basic form. Heres a fun link for <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Handstand"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"how to"</span></a> instructions. Also below was a pretty good video on how to learn a handstand. It is challenging however to learn how to hold a handstand for long periods of time, and to learn to walk on your hands. Trust me I've fallen over many of times attempting to! <br />
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One of the reasons it is a difficult position to maintain is because there is a small base of support and a high center of gravity as well as requiring some arm and shoulder strength. When in the handstand the center of gravity should be centered over the fingers. Doing this makes the handstand slightly over balanced, and equilibrium is achieved by the downward pressure exerted by the body as well as the overall body position.<br />
Another important part of this trick is when your upside down to pretend like you're a puppet and that there are strings pulling your body straight up from your fingertips to your toes.<br />
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Bending your legs can help lower the center of gravity but tends to cause other issues with the body position making it more harder to hold.Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6958383756854255222.post-72458122493179036592011-02-13T15:26:00.000-08:002011-02-13T15:26:35.374-08:00Tumbling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhbuNZngydQaZ2iqBrVXal7yiSq-dWDbUty9Ll6IAv0sUl9u0Cx4sEOvcVJ21AkjTZNIxbHmFjItnRO2kQlY-ksxujXpXWA8MHmhIEfNLhK_Mgywyxj4lzfiAOq-927Jv2IfgZIfruAGd/s1600/_MG_4802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhbuNZngydQaZ2iqBrVXal7yiSq-dWDbUty9Ll6IAv0sUl9u0Cx4sEOvcVJ21AkjTZNIxbHmFjItnRO2kQlY-ksxujXpXWA8MHmhIEfNLhK_Mgywyxj4lzfiAOq-927Jv2IfgZIfruAGd/s320/_MG_4802.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tumbling, a major element of gymnastics, requires a lot of power. It is during the tumbling passes which many gymnasts appear to defy gravity. All the crazy flips and twists I could only dream of doing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a fun video I found of some crazy tumbling passes. Its pretty insane what some of these people can do. One of the reason these tricks are possible is the floors they are tumbling on are springy, making it much easier to obtain the height necessary to perform these moves. Yet most of it even leaves me wondering how its physically possible! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/TipiCj90Wb4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Brehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069275871549203418noreply@blogger.com1