Estimation of athlete coordination abilities based on the reproducibility analysis of the electromyographic patterns of complex coordination movements

Abstract

Coordination abilities are the integral components in estimation of an athlete's physical preparedness and movement capabilities. The paper describes an original approach to the estimation of athletes coordination abilities based on the construction and analysis of electromyographic patterns of complex coordination movements. The maximum informative test exercises with a complex motion structure are recommended. Reproducibility analysis of the electromyographic patterns of motion tests under the influence of external destabilizing factors is proposed. The following factors were chosen as external perturbing ones: disabling the visual and disabling the sound analyzer of a person. The coefficients describing the individual informative components of the athletes' coordination abilities are presented: the coefficient of influence of the visual analyzer (γ) and the coefficient of influence of the sound analyzer (τ) on the stability of reproduction of the movements with a complex coordination structure. Research of the coordination abilities of young athletes, specializing in tennis and figure skating, are presented. For young athletes, specializing in figure skating, the coefficient of influence of the visual analyzer is γ = 2.09 ± 0.49, the coefficient of influence of the sound analyzer is τ = 1.98 ± 0.58. For young tennis players, the coefficient of influence of the visual analyzer is γ = 1.97 ± 0.48, the coefficient of influence of the sound analyzer is τ = 2.12 ± 0.61. In addition, a significant correlation between the age of the athlete and the coefficient of the influence of the visual analyzer has also been established. The Pearson correlation coefficient for skaters is r = -0.63, and for tennis players – r = -0.62. These indicates about the improvement of such component of coordination abilities with age. The recommendations on the practical use of the research results for young athletes are given.