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Current theories, like Ecological Dynamics, propose that inter-trial movement variability is functional when acquiring or refining movement coordination. Here, we examined how age-based experience levels of gymnasts constrained differences in emergent movement pattern variability during task performance. Specifically, we investigated different roles of movement pattern variability when gymnasts in different age groups performed longswings on a high bar, capturing the range of experience from beginner to advanced status. We also investigated the functionality of the relationships between levels of inter-trial variability and longswing amplitude during performance. One-hundred and thirteen male gymnasts in five age groups were observed performing longswings (with three different experience levels: beginners, intermediates and advanced performers). Performance was evaluated by analysis of key events in coordination of longswing focused on the arm-trunk and trunk-thigh segmental relations. Results revealed that 10 of 18 inter-trial variability measures changed significantly as a function of increasing task experience. Four of ten variability measures conformed to a U-shaped function with age implying exploratory strategies amongst beginners and functional adaptive variability amongst advanced performers. Inter-trial variability of arm-trunk coordination variables (6 of 10) conformed to a \-shaped curve, as values were reduced to complete the longswings. Changes in coordination variability from beginner to intermediate status were largely restrictive, with only one variability measure related to exploration. Data revealed how inter-trial movement variability in gymnastics, relative to performance outcomes, needs careful interpretation, implying different roles as task experience changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Measuring isometric strength is necessary in many areas of health and sport. However, trunk muscles have some particular characteristics that make them difficult to evaluate with simple, inexpensive instruments. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability and validity of an instrument constructed with a hand-held dynamometer and a metallic structure (HHD+S) for measuring maximum isometric voluntary trunk muscle strength. METHODS: Maximum isometric voluntary trunk muscle strength (extension, flexion and lateral flexion) was measured in 20 healthy individuals using the custom-made instrument (HHD+S) and the gold standard Back-Check (BC).RESULTS: The results showed that the two instruments had high and similar intra-subject reliability. The validity of the HHD+S was demonstrated by the high Pearson coefficient correlation between the two instruments (r ⩾̸ 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Given the good trial reliability and the close correlation between the two instruments, we believe that the use of a hand-held dynamometer together with the custom-made metallic structure (HHD+S) allows an evaluation of the maximum isometric voluntary trunk muscle strength to be made, that is very similar in quality, accuracy and reliability to the BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on research which was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a combined strength and plyometric training program and its impact on the training performance of elite oriented prepubertal female gymnasts. Researchers evaluated the program with nine gymnasts. They found that the training program was effective in prepubertal gymnasts despite their high level of physical conditioning.

The objective of this study was to confirm whether gymnastics practice from a young age can induce greater vertical jump reliability. Fifty young female gymnasts (8.84 ± 0.62 years) and 42 females in the control group (8.58 ± 0.92 years) performed the following jump tests on a contact mat: squat jump, countermovement jump, countermovement jump with arm swing and drop jump from heights of 40 and 60 cm. The two testing sessions had three trials each and were separated by one week. A 2 (groups) × 2 (sessions) × 3 (trials) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a test-retest correlation analysis were used to study the reliability. There was no systematic source of error in either group for non-plyometric jumps such as squat jump, countermovement jump, and countermovement jump with arm swing. A significant group per trial interaction revealed a learning effect in gymnasts' drop jumps from 40 cm height. Additionally, the test-retest correlation analysis and the higher minimum detectable error suggest that the quick drop jump technique was not fully consolidated in either group. At an introductory level of gymnastics and between the ages of 8–10 years, the condition of being a gymnast did not lead to conclusively higher reliability, aside from better overall vertical jump performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses research conducted to compare the factors influencing plyometric jumping performance from different heights between well-trained male and female gymnasts and a control group. Researchers evaluated 76 gymnasts and 91 subjects in a control group. They found that male gymnasts and control group subjects had similar flight times while female subjects had longer flight times and that the best performances were obtained between 40 and 60 centimeter drop height for both groups.