Analysis of Kinematics and Kinetics According to Skill Level and Sex in Double-under Jump Rope Technique

Abstract

Jump rope is a sport in which players jump over a rope while swinging the rope with their upper body and hands to pass it under their feet and over their heads (Miyaguchi, Demura & Omoya, 2015), and is one of the most effective aerobic exercises for cardiorespiratory health (Jones, Squires & Rodahl, 1962). Neuromuscular coordination is essential for accurate timing and maintenance of rhythm, which are critical for effective jump rope performance, and good neuromuscular coordination improves dynamic stability while performing jump rope (Ozer, Duzgun, Baltaci, Garacan & Colakoglu, 2011). Furthermore, jump rope effectively enhances muscle strength, endurance, balance, explosive power, speed, cardiopulmonary endurance, and flexibility, and is therefore used as a warm-up exercise and training program in various sports (Hawkins & Kennedy, 1980; Orhan, 2013; Solis & Thompson, 1988; Trampas & Kitisios, 2006). Jump rope is an essential component of professional training programs designed to enhance athletic performance by elite junior athletes, and several studies have reported beneficial effects on physical fitness, growth, and development in these athletes (Baker, Côté & Abernethy, 2003; Miyaguchi, Sugiura & Demura, 2014). Elite athletes often use plyometric training programs with box jumps or hurdle jumps to improve explosive power and jump performance (Komi, 1984). However, these training programs inflict a heavy load on elite junior athletes who are still undergoing physical development, and increase their risk of injury (Komori, Zushi, Konishi & Komori, 2012). For this reason, it is important to develop alternative training programs that offer effective training with a relatively low risk of injury. Jump rope is one such alternative. Jump rope has the properties of plyometric exercise, as the sport involves repeated contractions and extensions of the quadriceps femoris, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles, thereby improving explosive power and jumping ability (Komi, 1984; Norman & Komi, 1979; Miyaguchi et al., 2014, 2015). Accordingly, jump rope is utilized in training programs for a variety of other sports, such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, boxing, wrestling, tennis, and martial arts (Ozer et al., 2011; Trecroci, Cavaggioni, Caccia & Alberti, 2015). Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics 2017; 27(3): 171-179 http://dx.doi.org/10.5103/KJSB.2017.27.3.171 http://e-kjsb.org eISSN 2093-9752 ORIGINAL