Estudio de caso: Análisis biomecánico y fisiológico del Skyrunner®

Abstract

The intention of this case study was to analyze a sport artifact sold in the Costa Rican market, the Skyrunner®, from the biomechanical and physiological point of view. For it, the biomechanics and physiological differences are studied when the Skyrunner® is and is not used. A man (20 years, 1.67m, 55 kg) was the case of study. The analysis of the biomechanical variables was made by means of a force platform, with which the vertical force was obtained, the height, the jump flight time, vertical impulse and duration of the impulse phase. For the measurement of the physiological variables a metabolic car was used to evaluate the power consumption while the subject was exercised in an endless band during the heating, the exercise and the phase of recovery. In general, the use of the Skyrunner® caused a greater cost of energy that can be attributed to the requirement of mechanisms of balance and muscular tension that entail an important cost of energy. The height of the jumps with Skyrunner® was a greater by 50%, although the vertical impulse was near a 15% less. The time of impulse was 27.5% the time of a normal jump and forces were generated almost three times greater. This denotes the great mechanical efficiency of the system that is able to keep and use greater amount of elastic energy accumulated in the structure, in comparison with that produced by the legs in an isolated form.