THE CHARACTERISATION OF SKELETON ATHLETES’ PLANTAR PRESSURE ACROSS THE PUSH START

The purpose of this study was to gain an initial understanding of patterns and key characteristics of the plantar pressure maps through the push start of top-level skeleton athletes. Skeleton is a dynamic winter sport where athletes propel themselves down an ice track often at speeds in excess of 120km/h. To achieve the best results demanded of the top level, the push start phase is a vital component. Advantages gained here can be the difference between finishing 10th and achieving gold. Therefore, there has been a focus on the performance characteristics of the entire push start in recent research to help understand how to reduce the total time and increase the athlete’s speed going into the run. Wearing Medilogic wireless insoles in their usual spiked training shoes, five international skeleton athletes each performed 3-5 maximal effort push starts on a dry-land push track. Using statistical parametric mapping on the 2-d plantar pressure maps, key areas of different pressure patterns were identified with a confidence interval of α<0.05. The main findings from the analysis include a higher-pressure concentration on the medial edge of the outside foot than the inside foot through the start and an anterior shift in the pressure concentration during the acceleration phase versus the loading phase of the push start. These results can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the skeleton push start mechanics for comparing different running modalities and surfaces, and to help support optimal equipment choice.