Projects & Grants
| Effect of head position on centre of mass stability during handstand. | |
|---|---|
| Project Id | SGS01/PdF/2023 |
| Main solver | Mgr. Pavel Brtva, Ph.D. |
| Period | 1/2023 - 12/2023 |
| Provider | Specifický VŠ výzkum |
| State | finished |
| Anotation | Bernstein's theory understands human movement as a coordinated and controlled process of matching, selecting, and efficiently using the various biomechanical degrees of freedom involved in solving a movement task. The fundamental question is how the control system constrains and selects possible solutions (degrees of freedom) leading to the efficient completion of the movement task (Bernstein, 1967). An important process of movement control is the maintenance of balance. Balance is the basis of postural activities (e.g., standing, walking) and requires a coordinated response of the control system to information received from the proprioceptive, visual, and vestibular systems (Kerwin and Trewartha, 2001). Balance control strategies are developed during postural activities by organizing muscular actions around joints to stabilize the position of the center of mass (COM) relative to the support base (Winter, 1995). Handstand is a fundamental skill in gymnastics due to its relation within more complex gymnastic skills and the fact that it is performed on all apparatus in both male and female gymnastics (Readhead, 1997). The handstand also represents an important postural position that can contribute to the understanding of the basic mechanisms of maintaining balance (Asseman and Gahery, 2005). It has been found that compared to the upright stance, balance strategies during handstand are limited (Clément and Rezette, 1997). Based on previous research, it has been proposed that the goal of postural regulation during balance movement tasks is to stabilize the head position in space (Roberts, 1973). However, this may limit the influence of certain segments for maintaining balance, especially if the position of the head and the role of vision are altered. The purpose of this study is to investigate how, in terms of Bernstein's degrees of freedom theory, the variability of angular parameters during handstand changes with changes in head position and visual control. |
