Karine Jacon Sarro

A 3D kinematic analysis of breathing patterns in competitive swimmers

Abstract The purpose of this paper was to understand which differences long-term swimming training can cause on trunk mechanics during breathing and how these differences are related to the years of swimming training. The variations and coordination among trunk compartments were considered as target movement patterns. Video-based plethysmography was utilised for data acquisition and pre-processing. A group of swimmers, who followed a long-term intensive swimming training previously to this study, was compared with a non-swimmer control group. The participants of both groups performed quiet breathing and vital capacity tests. From the compartmental volumes associated with each breathing curves, the relative amplitude and cross-correlation among these volumetric time-varying signals were calculated, in order to analyse the relative partial volume variation and the coordination among trunk compartments involved in respiration. The results of a Mixed-ANOVA test (P ≤ 0.05) revealed higher coefficient of variation (P < 0.001) and correlations among trunk compartments in the swimmers group when vital capacity was performed. Significant linear regression was found between the years of swim training and the coefficients of variation and correlation. The results suggest that after long periods of intensive swim training, athletes might develop specific breathing patterns featuring higher volume variations in the abdominal region and more coordination among compartments involved in forced respiratory tasks such as vital capacity.

Wheelchair Rugby Improves Pulmonary Function in People With Tetraplegia After 1 Year of Training

Abstract Moreno, MA, Paris, JV, Sarro, KJ, Lodovico, A, Silvatti, AP, and Barros, RML. Wheelchair rugby improves pulmonary function in people with tetraplegia after 1 year of training. J Strength Cond Res 27(1): 50–56, 2013—This study investigated the effects of 1 year of regular wheelchair rugby training on the pulmonary function of subjects with tetraplegia. A total of 15 male subjects with tetraplegia participated in this study and were divided into an experimental group of rugby players (n = 8) and a control group (n = 7) of sedentary tetraplegic subjects. Both groups underwent spirometry, and the experimental group was tested before and after participating of a regular 1-year program of wheelchair rugby training. At the beginning of the training program, all the subjects presented reduced pulmonary function compared with predicted values (p < 0.05) for healthy subjects. There were a significant increase in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume after 1 second (FEV1), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV, p < 0.05) values after 1 year of regular wheelchair rugby training. The regression analysis between total training time and spirometric variables FVC (r2 = 0.97, p < 0.0001) and MVV (r2 = 0.58, p = 0.02) revealed that the players with longer training time had higher pulmonary function values. This study showed that regular wheelchair rugby training can improve the pulmonary function of subjects with spinal cord injuries.

Isomap transform for segmenting human body shapes.

Segmentation of the 3D human body is a very challenging problem in applications exploiting volume capture data. Direct clustering in the Euclidean space is usually complex or even unsolvable. This paper presents an original method based on the Isomap (isometric feature mapping) transform of the volume data-set. The 3D articulated posture is mapped by Isomap in the pose of Da Vincis Vitruvian man. The limbs are unrolled from each other and separated from the trunk and pelvis, and the topology of the human body shape is recovered. In such a configuration, Hoshen–Kopelman clustering applied to concentric spherical shells is used to automatically group points into the labelled principal curves. Shepard interpolation is utilised to back-map points of the principal curves into the original volume space. The experimental results performed on many different postures have proved the validity of the proposed method. Reliability of less than 2 cm and 3° in the location of the joint centres and direction axes of rotations has been obtained, respectively, which qualifies this procedure as a potential tool for markerless motion analysis.

Reliability and minimal detectable change of thoracoabdominal mobility measurements using photogrammetry

ABSTRACT The knowledge about measurement errors of the measuring tool is important before its use, as clinical decisions are going to be made based on its results. Here we investigate intrarater and interrater reliability and the minimal detectable change (MDC) of thoracoabdominal mobility measurements using photogrammetry, considering novice and experienced raters. Thoracoabdominal mobility of 17 healthy participants was assessed; photographs during apnea in maximal inspiration and expiration were used to calculate latero-lateral and anteroposterior diameters of the thorax (at axillary and xiphoid level) and abdomen. One novice and one experienced rater measured the same photographs three times. We found good reliability for the experienced rater (average Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC): 0.98; average MDC: 0.3) and for interrater comparison (average ICC: 0.97; average MDC: 0.35) for all measures, with poorer results for latero-lateral mobility of abdomen. The novice rater presented moderate reliability for latero-lateral mobility of the thorax at axillary level and abdomen (ICC: 0.52 and 0.61; MDC: 1.42 and 2.05, respectively) and good reliability for the other measures (average ICC: 0.81; average MDC: 1.52). The photogrammetric analysis of thoracoabdominal mobility presented itself as a reliable method when used by an experienced professional. However, considering that the measurement of latero-lateral mobility is more subjected to errors, it should be used with caution. The MDC presented should be taken into account as a threshold to be certain that the measure is not under the measurement error due to rater variability.

Thoracoabdominal breathing motion pattern and coordination of professional ballet dancers

Abstract Ballet training includes exercises of high and moderate intensities, which require breathing control for a good performance. This study describes the thoracoabdominal motion of professional dancers and compares the breathing patterns between professional dancers and non-dancers. Participants of this study were four male and four female (30.33 ± 4.64 years) professional dancers and four male and four female (22.75 ± 1.49 years) non-dancers. The participants executed two breathing manoeuvres while sitting motionless: quiet breathing (QB) and vital capacity (VC). The 3D coordinates of 32 retro-reflective markers positioned on the trunk were used to calculate the volume of the superior thorax, inferior thorax and abdomen. Principal component analysis was applied in the volume variation of each trunk compartment to search for dominant independent variables in a breathing motion pattern. The correlation coefficient was calculated to verify the coordination between the compartments during the breathing manoeuvres. A predominance of the superior thorax or abdomen movement was found in both groups. The professional ballet dancers have an efficient breathing pattern and maintain the same breathing pattern in QB and VC manoeuvres. On the other hand, the non-dancers group showed relevant changes of the breathing pattern to respond to a greater breathing effort, like in VC.

O Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física / UFES: Pesquisa e ensino em atividade física & saúde

A pesquisa e a formacao de recursos humanos em atividade fisica e saude tem importância significativa para o desenvolvimento da pos-graduacao em educacao fisica no pais. O presente artigo apresenta os laboratorios e linhas de pesquisa do Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Educacao Fisica da Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo (PPGEF/UFES) com aderencia a esta tematica. Sao descritos o contexto, acoes e motivacoes que possibilitaram a abertura da area de concentracao em Educacao Fisica, movimento corporal humano e saude , suas respectivas linhas de pesquisa, os principios gerais adotados na formacao de novos pesquisadores, as tematicas especificas de cada grupo e as parcerias e redes de pesquisa estabelecidas. Como conclusao, indicamos o potencial de contribuicao das linhas de pesquisa do PPGEF/UFES para o conhecimento sobre o tema e o desenvolvimento regional.