Stephen Trathen

Easiest Routes and Slow Zones: How Fast Do I Go?: Speeds and Distances of Recreational and Expert Snowsport Participants

High speeds in snowsports have been associated with both the affective appeal as well as the risk of injury. Previous research of speeds of snowsport participants have been recorded on limited terrain or a single run using static radar guns or speed cameras. However, from a resort design and management perspective, more information is needed about areas of potential risk where there are a variety of users, skill levels, and speed. This exploratory research seeks to understand the actual and perceived distance and speeds traveled by a variety of snowsport participants over their day’s participation as well in resort-designated “slow zones.” A convenience sample of expert and recreational participants was recruited in a Western Canadian resort during the 2010–2011 season. A GPS-based data-logging device recorded speed, distance, duration, and location. Participants completed a questionnaire covering demographics, perceptions of maximum speed and distance traveled, and recommended speeds in slow zones. Data was collected over 102 sessions for alpine skiers, snowboarders, and telemarkers who traveled >4.5 km during their data-collection period: age range 9–80 years (x¯ = 42.0), 39.8 % females and 67.6 % advanced/expert. Total skiing/boarding time logged was 497 h (17 min–7 h, 38 min, x¯ = 4 h, 52 min) covering 4475 km (x¯ = 43.87 km). Estimates of distance traveled was 3–100 km (x¯ = 33.70 km, SD = 21.98 km). Maximum speeds recorded were 20.2–108.5 km/h (x¯ = 62.06 km/h); all but two recorded maximum speeds >23 km/h. Estimated maximum speeds ranged from 1–100 km/h (x¯ = 50.82 km/h). A paired sample t-test of estimated and actual maximum speeds was significant (p = .000). Participants’ recommendation for speeds in slow zones ranged from 5 to 60 km/h (x¯ = 23.8 km/h, mode = 30 km/h). Participants were generally unaware of the distances they traveled and the maximum speeds achieved, with most traveling in slow zones at speeds greater than their own recommendations.

Walking for fitness: is it enough to maintain both heart and bone health?

Exercising at levels of whole body accelerations exceeding 3.6g has been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular fitness, bone density and balance. This pilot research project evaluated the whole body accelerations and cardiovascular challenge provided by selected walks in the Canberra region of Australia to determine if walks could be ranked according to potential level of impact on both cardiovascular fitness and bone health. Nine participants, who described themselves as walking at least 3km, three times per week, wore a data logging device recording heart rate, acceleration and GPS position while walking three outdoor tracks: (1) the running track of an athletics stadium; (2) on a hill climb path through bushland; and (3) on a route through suburban streets. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) for heart rate, distribution of whole body accelerations and average walking speed between track 2 and tracks 1 and 3. There was a significant difference for heart rate, distribution of whole body accelerations and average walking speed between the walks. The running track and the suburban walk provide a moderate exercise challenge, with the hill climb walk providing progressively greater vertical height challenge, resulting in an increased cardiovascular exercise challenge. No participant effectively exceeded the threshold for achieving a positive impact on bone density (100 or more accelerations/day >3.6g) on track 1, and only two of the nine participants intermittently achieved this threshold on tracks 2 and 3.

Effect of Wearing a Wrist Guard on the Site of Injury in the Upper Limb in Snowsports Participants

This project examined the use of wrist guards in snowsports in individuals who suffered an upper limb injury and attended for medical assistance in two Australian resorts in Jul. 2010 and their associated attitudes and beliefs around either their decision to use or not to use such equipment. For all 40 wrist fractures distance of the fracture from the wrist joint was recorded and any difference in the average distance of the fracture site from the wrist between those wearing a guard and those not wearing a guard was determined by analysis of variance. Data was entered into PASW 18.0 for Mac for analysis. Chi-squared tests were conducted to explore between-group differences in questionnaire response data. No significant difference in the anatomical site of upper limb fractures from those wearing guards versus those not wearing guards was found. This study does not support the suggestion that wrist guard use shifts the site of fracture further up the upper limb. KEYWORDS: Snow sports, upper limb injury, fracture Language: en

A Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT2) for Use in Snowsports: Can the Balance Component of the Tool Be Improved?

Background: Currently, there are no recommended assessment protocols for monitoring possible effects of head injury in snowsports athletes who are in competition and training. Objective: This project evaluated the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 2 (SCAT2) for concussion assessment in a snowsport athlete group. In addition, the project determined the effectiveness of enhancing the SCAT2 protocol by using accelerometer smartphone technology in the balance assessment component of the test battery, with a view to an enhanced protocol for assessment of changes in human motor performance post-concussion injury. Methods: The research team recruited 22 athletes from the New South Wales Institute of Sport and the Olympic Winter Institute Australia snowsport athlete squads who were undertaking baseline sport science testing during the Australian 2012 and 2013 winter seasons. Results: Overall correlation between the SCAT 2 over two separate occasions was moderate/strong (Pearson’s r = 0.58, p = 0.006). Examination of the subcategories within the SCAT2 indicated that the overall correlation was being mediated by the strong correlation of the subset “Symptom Score.” The subset “Balance Score” did not correlate across test occasions (r = 0.42, p = 0.054). There were no other significant correlations across the two occasions of testing. Those who had reported a major head impact history, signified by damage to their helmet during the impact, were significantly older (21.5, SD 4.6 years) than the group not reporting a major head impact (17.5, SD 2.6 years). Two of the instrumented balance test measures, one in the double-leg stance and one in the single-leg stance protocol, showed a significant difference between the “major helmet impact” and “no helmet impact” groups warranting further investigation in a larger sample.

Speeds of pediatric snowsport participants: insights for injury prevention strategies

Building upon previous research into the speeds of adult snowsport participants, this research sought to investigate the maximum speeds attained by pediatric snowsport participants across their snowsport session. Speeds were recorded using a GPS-based data-logging device that enabled recording of speeds, distance travelled and duration. From over 700 h of data, the average maximum-recorded speed was 44.1 km/h. While there was a significant difference in the average maximum speeds across four levels of experience, there was no significant difference between the average maximum speeds of females and males (42.5 km/h cf. 42.4 km/h), or between alpine skiers and snowboarders (43.8 km/h cf. 40.0 km/h). As noted in previous snowsport speeds research with adults, the average maximum speeds of the pediatric snowsport participants exceed the testing protocols of all current helmet standards in use. Language: en