Effect of various types of attentional focus on single-leg drop-landing pathomechanics

Fatemeh ALAEI, B.Sc.

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various types of focus of attention on the knee and ankle kinematics and kinetics during a single-leg drop landing. A total of 21 healthy collegiate students completed 3 single-leg drop landing trails without any focus of attention instructions (control condition-CON), followed by 3 single-leg drop landings in each focus of attention condition (external focus-EF, internal focus-IF, and holistic focus-HF) which were presented in a counterbalanced order. The knee and ankle 3-D kinematics and kinetics were captured. The result showed that the peak vertical ground reaction force significantly decreased after adopting an HF compared to CON (p=0.003, F=7.15, d>0.8). No significant effect of the landing conditions was observed in the peak anteroposterior ground reaction force. Ankle adduction angle in the IF and ankle inversion angle in CON conditions were greater in the balance-maintenance phase after landing. The knee flexion angle was significantly greater in the IF condition compared to CON. The knee joint angular velocity in the sagittal and frontal planes was greater in the CON condition relative to other conditions with the focus of attention instructions. The findings of this study showed that an HF can be considered another beneficial type of focus of attention by decreasing peak vertical ground reaction force during single-leg drop landing. Future studies should concentrate on incorporating HF instruction into prevention programs and tracking injuries to see whether there is a reduction in lower limb injuries.

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of various types of focus of attention on the knee and ankle kinematics and kinetics during a single-leg drop landing. A total of 21 healthy collegiate students completed 3 single-leg drop landing trails without any focus of attention instructions (control condition-CON), followed by 3 single-leg drop landings in each focus of attention condition (external focus-EF, internal focus-IF, and holistic focus-HF) which were presented in a counterbalanced order. The knee and ankle 3-D kinematics and kinetics were captured. The result showed that the peak vertical ground reaction force significantly decreased after adopting an HF compared to CON (p=0.003, F=7.15, d>0.8). No significant effect of the landing conditions was observed in the peak anteroposterior ground reaction force. Ankle adduction angle in the IF and ankle inversion angle in CON conditions were greater in the balance-maintenance phase after landing. The knee flexion angle was significantly greater in the IF condition compared to CON. The knee joint angular velocity in the sagittal and frontal planes was greater in the CON condition relative to other conditions with the focus of attention instructions. The findings of this study showed that an HF can be considered another beneficial type of focus of attention by decreasing peak vertical ground reaction force during single-leg drop landing. Future studies should concentrate on incorporating HF instruction into prevention programs and tracking injuries to see whether there is a reduction in lower limb injuries.7

Keywords

Focus of attention, lower limb biomechanics, single-leg drop landing

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 30. 6. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Zdeněk Svoboda, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Physical Culture

Master programme / field:
Physical Education and Sports / Physical Activity and Active Living