Armin Kibele

Institute for Sports and Sport Science, University of Kassel

Background: The goal of this study was to determine if 10-min of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) to the motor cortex (M1) is capable of modulating quadriceps isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force or fatigue endurance contralateral or ipsilateral to the stimulation site. Methods: In a randomized, cross-over d...

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit Rahmenbedingungen und Inhalten zur Vermitt-lung von digitalen Unterrichtsmedien für angehende Lehrkräfte für das Fach Sport in der gymnasialen Oberstufe. Er ist in drei Teile und einen Exkurs untergliedert. Während im ersten Teil auf konzeptuelle Rahmenbedingungen eines Lernens mit digitalen Medien sowie...

The present study aimed to detect statistical differences in the start performance between relay and individual races accounting for gender and relay start techniques. Race data of relay races and corresponding individual races from European Championships (2019) were analysed. Linear mixed models for repeated measures were applied to compare the di...

Das Sturzrisiko im Alter ist mit Nachlassenden Fähigkeiten in Kraft-, Gleichgewicht und Koordination assoziiert. In Kombination mit reduzierten kognitiven Ressourcen kann die Fähigkeit, flexibel und robust auf interne und externe Störungen zu reagieren, negativ beeinflusst sein [3]. Einbußen in motorischen und kognitiven Funktionen können zudem daz...

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of studies investigating the effects that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can have on exercise performance. Currently, there exists substantial conflict in the literature, with many studies reporting that 10-20 min of tDCS can result in augmented performance, while...

Elite swimmers are individual athletes competing mostly on their own. However, when competing in a relay team, they are exposed to social influences possibly leading to effort gains compared to their individual performance. This study investigated effort gains in relay team members during 4 x 100 m freestyle races of Olympic Games and World Champio...

The purpose of the present study was twofold: (i) to compare the kinematic characteristics of individual and relay swimming starts; and (ii) to relate the kinematic variables to 5 m performance for both starts. Twelve elite-level swimmers performed 2 × 25 m at maximal effort (one with an individual and one with a relay start randomly). Two-dimensio...

›Using resistance training on unstable supports or with instability devices athletes aim to prepare their neuromuscular system for sudden and unforeseen impairments in equilibrium impeded by the environment or through sports partners. In contrast to athletes, older adults aim to avoid such situations impeded by instability to reduce a possible risk...

Background. This study investigated the effects of two 14-week resistance training protocols with different repetition duration (RD) performed to muscle failure (MF) on gains in strength and muscle hypertrophy as well as on normalized electromyographic (EMG) amplitude and force-angle relationships. Methods. The left and right legs of ten untrained...

For more than twenty years we have been studying perceptual-motor processes related to penalty kicks with decelerated run-ups. Our starting point goes back to the 1990s with Winton Rufer (previously with SV Werder Bremen) and Rodolfo Esteban Cardoso (previously with SC Freiburg) exercising pentalty kicks with decelerated run-ups. Interviews with bo...

In swimming relay races, various start techniques are performed by swimmers, but it remains unclear which technique leads to a better start performance. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the kinematic characteristics of different relay start techniques with the new starting block Omega OSB11. Eleven international youth swim...

Aging is associated with declines in physical and cognitive performance. While there is no doubt about beneficial effects of physical exercise on proxies of strength and balance, the overall evidence for positive effects of resistance and balance training on executive functions is rather inconsistent. Whether the simultaneous exercising of strength...

Is the control of movement less stable when we walk or run in challenging settings? Intuitively, one might answer that it is, given that challenging locomotion externally (e.g. rough terrain) or internally (e.g. age-related impairments) makes our movements more unstable. Here, we investigated how young and old humans synergistically activate muscle...

A means to compensate for perturbations is to employ motor synergies that act to stabilize or provide similar trial-to-trial output. Whereas evidence exists that synergies related to the upper extremities can be trained, the extent to which lower limb synergies can be altered remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether resist...

Is the control of movement less stable when we walk or run in challenging settings? Intuitively, one might answer that it is, given that adding external (e.g. rough terrain) or internal (e.g. age-related impairments) constraints to locomotion makes our movements less stable. Here, we investigated how young and old humans synergistically activate mu...

Is the control of movement less stable when we walk or run in challenging settings? One might intuitively answer affirmatively, given that adding constraints to locomotion (e.g. rough terrain, age-related impairments, etc.) imply less stable movements. We investigated how young and old humans synergistically activate muscles during locomotion, when...

This study investigated differences in the declines of isometric strength in hip abductors and adductors versus knee extensors across four different age groups (n = 31: 11.2 ± 1.0 y, n = 30: 23.1 ± 2.7 y, n = 27: 48.9 ± 4.4 y, and n = 33: 70.1 ± 4.2 y) with a total of 121 female subjects. As a starting point, we assumed that, during their daily act...

Short change-over times (COT) in swimming relays can play an important role in winning a race. Therefore, experts recommend to specifically train change-overs between swimmers to minimize COT (Maglischo, 2003; Siders, 2010; Saavedra et al., 2014). But, change-overs in swimming constitute a quite risky situation, since a false start and hence a disq...

The aim of this study was to examine the importance of the change-over time in swimming relay races. Top-class international 4 x 100 m freestyle races were analysed across a 10-year period including three Olympic Games and five European and World Championships. A total of 220 swimmers (116 female, 104 male) were included in this study with an avera...

Most actions we perform in daily life consist of multiple movement elements. In two Simon task experiments, we investigated the impact of stimulus-response compatibility on planning and execution of action sequences. A total of 38 participants were instructed to perform action sequences consisting of multiple key presses (two to four key presses) a...

Swimming a relay is different from swimming in an individual race. The most visible difference can be found in the starting behavior from the block. For the individual start, swimmers initiate, at rest, their take-off movement as soon as a starting signal appears. For relay starts, swimmers may initiate their take-off behavior any time they wish. H...

In our daily life, we regularly walk and run in complex environments. To deal with unexpected perturbations, the central nervous system must adaptively modify its control strategies. However, the continuous integration of sensory and motor information likely undergoes some simplification for achieving precise control, possibly by activating muscles...

Swimming a relay is different from swimming in an individual race. The most visible difference can be found in the starting behavior from the block. For the individual start, swimmers initiate, at rest, their take-off movement as soon as a starting signal appears. For relay starts, swimmers may initiate their take-off behavior any time they wish. H...

The need to move over uneven terrain is a daily challenge. In order to face unexpected perturbations due to changes in the morphology of the terrain, the central nervous system must flexibly modify its control strategies. We analysed the local dynamic stability and the modular organisation of muscle activation (muscle synergies) during walking and...

The need to move over uneven terrain is a daily challenge. In order to face unexpected perturbations due to changes in the morphology of the terrain, the central nervous system must flexibly modify its control strategies. We analysed the local dynamic stability and the modular organisation of muscle activation (muscle synergies) during walking and...

This conference book includes contemporary reports and corresponding studies on swim starts conducted by young scientists from around the world. The various topics relate to individual starts from the block, backstroke starts, and relay starts, highlighting different aspects and phases of the corresponding movement behavior. Most of the reports pub...

Brain stimulation and neural entrainment rely on noninvasive techniques that, applied to sports, might enhance brain activity in healthy athletes to improve their physical performance. In the past, several studies have employed stimulation procedures, either during athletic training or during separate sessions, to enhance physical and mental perfor...

Many open motor skills, for example in team sports and combat sports, are executed under mild to severe conditions of instability. Therefore, over the past two decades, coaching professionals and athletes have shown increasing interest in training routines to enhance the physical prerequisites for strength performance in this regard. Exercise scien...

Understanding how to control stability when running, particularly when being exposed to uneven terrain, is vital to prevent falls and to get an insight into compensatory strategies while running on uneven terrain. The purpose of this study was to assess surface related differences of the margin of stability, kinematics of hip and knee and upper bod...

Long-term engagement in mindfulness meditation has been found to be effective in achieving optimal athletic performance through decreasing the level of anxiety, ruminative thinking, and enhancing the experience of flow. Besides long-term training effects, the past years have seen an increasing interest in the impact of single bouts of meditation on...

Brain stimulation and neural entrainment relying on noninvasive techniques, applied to sports, might enhance brain activity in healthy athletes to improve their physical performance. In the past, several studies have employed stimulation procedures, either during athletic training or during separate sessions, to enhance physical and mental performa...

The accurate detection of gait events is essential for clinical gait analysis. Aside from speed, surface characteristics like planarity and compliance can affect gait kinematics. Therefore detection of kinematic gait events on uneven surfaces may be inaccurate. To date, no study has investigated the possible influence of surface characteristics on...

Visually perceived motion can affect observers' motor control in such a way that an intended action can be activated automatically when it contains similar spatial features. So far, effects have been mostly demonstrated with simple displays where objects were moving in a two-dimensional plane. However, almost all actions we perform and visually per...

In the past, studies and book recommendations on relay starts in swimming have been predominantly focused on the change-over time (COT) as a performance criterion. Aside from the circular backswing start with parallel foot placement, few studies have analysed differences in the take-off movement including step approaches as well. Although trends co...

A basic process in the planning of everyday actions involves the integration of visually perceived movement characteristics. Such processes of information integration often occur automatically. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the visual perception of spatial characteristics of a rotational motion (rotation direction) can induce...

Cognitive and neurocognitive approaches to human healthy aging attribute age-related decline to the biologically caused loss of cognitive-control functions. However, an embodied-cognition approach to aging implies a more interactive view according to which cognitive control emerges from, and relies on a person’s active encounters with his or her ph...

The aim of this study was to analyse the significance of various biomechanical parameters in swim start performance for the grab and track start techniques. To do so, structural equation models were analysed, incorporating measurements for the take-off phase, flight phase and entry phase. Forty-six elite German swimmers (18 female and 28 male; age:...

Running, and aerobic exercise in general, is a physical activity that increasingly many people engage in but that also has become popular as a topic for scientific research. Here we review the available studies investigating whether and to which degree aerobic exercise modulates hormones, amino acids, and neurotransmitters levels. In general, it se...

Rationale for the use of the term metastability in balance and human movement research

Systematic variations of the preferred stance positions of 17 elite swimmers on the OSB11 were analyzed in regard to block time, swim start times to 5 m, horizontal take-off velocities, and horizontal vs. vertical peak force values. The variations encompassed changes of the front leg (left vs. right), the centre of mass (CM) height (low vs. high),...

The present study investigated associations between trunk muscle strength, jump performance, and lower limb kinematics during drop jumps on stable and unstable surfaces. Next to this behavioral approach, correlations were also computed on a neuromuscular level between trunk and leg muscle activity during the same test conditions. Twenty-nine health...

This study investigated sex-specific effects of surface instability on kinetics and lower extremity kinematics during drop jumping and landing. Ground reaction forces as well as knee valgus and flexion angles were tested in 14 males (age: 23±2 years) and 14 females (age: 24±3 years) when jumping and landing on stable and unstable surfaces. Jump hei...

Background In the past, plyometric training (PT) has been predominantly performed on stable surfaces. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine effects of a 7-week lower body PT on stable vs. unstable surfaces. This type of exercise condition may be denoted as metastable equilibrium. Methods Thirty-three physically active male sport science s...

The aim of this study was to evaluate systematic variations of the preferred stance of elite swimmers in relation to their swim start performance on the OSB11. Variations of the preferred stance were examined regarding the front leg (left vs. right), the centre of mass height (low vs. high), the stance width (narrow vs. wide), and a rear vs. a fron...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of surface instability on measures of performance and activity of leg and trunk muscles during drop jumps and landings. Drop jumps and landings were assessed on a force plate under stable and unstable (balance pad on top of the force plate) conditions. Performance measures (contact time, jump...

Dieser Band beschäftigt sich mit den theoretischen Grundlagen und der praktischen Umsetzung von Krafttraining mit Kindern und Jugendlichen. Ausgehend von der Kennzeichnung der körperlichen Situation und der Kraftentwicklung im Kindes- und Jugendalter werden die Effekte von Krafttraining bei Kindern und Jugendlichen aufgezeigt. Hierzu zählen neben V...

The purpose of this study was to investigate underlying mechanisms and neuromuscular recovery patterns following rapid and slow stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) movements performed to fatigue. Fourteen (10 moderately trained (MT) and four highly trained (HT)) subjects completed rapid and slow SSC movements to fatigue. The rapid SSC movement consisted...

Starting block performance in swimming is of crucial importance in the individual competitions for the shorter swimming distances as well as for the relay events. The significance of this swim start performance will increase with the introduction of a new starting block with a longer and slightly steeper surface in conjunction with a push-off suppo...

The objective of the study was to compare the effect of a 7-week unstable and stable resistance training program on measures of strength, balance, and functional performance. Forty participants were divided into unstable or stable resistance training groups. Training was conducted twice a week for 7 weeks. Pre- and post-testing measures included le...

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, wie den vielfältigen konditionell-koordinativen Anforderungen in einem Wettkampfsport durch angemessene Trainingsübungen begegnet werden kann. Angemessen bedeutet dabei, dass sowohl den spezifischen Ausführungsbedingungen für die diversen Bewegungsabläufe (Spezifitätsprinzip) – und hier insbes...

Der Beitrag stellt eine auf wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen basierende Fitnesskonzeption der Berufsfeuerwehr Kassel vor. Dabei werden internationale Untersuchungen zur Fitness von Feuerwehrangehörigen vorgestellt und zugehörige Fitnessstandards sowie Eckpunkte einer Trainingskonzeption abgeleitet. Neben der Maximalkraft, der Kraftausdauer und der...

Acute bouts of static stretching have been shown to impair performance. Most published studies have incorporated static stretching that stressed the muscle(s) to the point of discomfort (POD). There are very few studies that have examined the effects of submaximal intensity (less than POD) static stretching on subsequent performance. Ten participan...

The objective was to determine whether specific types and volumes of sounds affect driving-related tasks. Participants completed six trials while exposed to different sound types (hard rock, classical music and industrial noise) and volumes (53 versus 95 db (A)). Participants executed a randomized order of tasks, involving: movement (MT), reaction...

Objective: Athletes in various game sports and combat sports execute motor reactions under time pressure to perceived movement sequences of opponents or team members without awareness of any particular trigger stimuli. In the past, this special form of decision making in sports has been primarily examined in studies on perceptual skills and, althou...

A new testing procedure is introduced to evaluate the alactic running performance in a 10s sprint task with near-maximal movement velocity. The test is performed on a motor-equipped treadmill with inverted polarity that increases mechanical resistance instead of driving the treadmill belt. As a result, a horizontal force has to be exerted against t...

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird im einleitenden Teil zunächst über Untersuchungsansätze aus der experimentell orientierten Kognitionspsychologie berichtet, in denen methodische Aspekte zum Nachweis über die Verarbeitung von nicht-bewusst wahrgenommenen Reizen im Vordergrund stehen. Anschließend werden diesbezügliche Befunde zum sogenannten Metakontras...

Die Arbeit hat zum Ziel, deutlich zu machen, dass eine Auseinandersetzung mit dem Forschungszweig der unbewussten Informationsverarbeitung eine für die Sportwissenschaft notwendige und auch erfolgversprechende Aufgabe darstellt. Hierzu werden die Themenschwerpunkte: Wahrnehmung ohne Bewusstheit und implizites (Bewegungs-)Lernen in den Vordergrund g...

Possibilities and limitations in the biomechanical analysis of countermovement jump performance were examined using force plate data. Four male and 4 female sport students participated in the study. Software designed to test jumping performance was used to evaluate recordings from a force plate and to compute net velocity and net displacement measu...

The presented paper refers to the discussion on traditional biomechanical methods that are used for the performance evaluation in drop jumps. In this respect we were concerned with the question on whether simple body segment models - in our case the DEMPSTER model - are adequate for the evaluation of jumping height by means of the center of gravity...

In comparison to maximal, unilateral activation of the leg, a deficit has been found in both the force and the electromyogram (emg) during bilateral activation of the homologous musculature. The objective of the present study was to quantify in detail the characteristics of the rectified and averaged emg-traces of selected extensor muscles particip...

Krafttrainingsformen unterliegen übungsspezifischen (z.B. Gerätespez.) Effekten. Krafttraining mit hohen Reizintensitäten sollte mit flankierenden Techniktraining begleitet werden, um Übertragungsverluste gering zu halten. Für unilaterale Wettkampfbewegungen werden maximale Anpassungsreize für die neuromuskuläre Aktivierung am besten mit unilateral...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of body configuration on the biomechanical properties of leg extensor muscles in squat jump (SJ) performances. Ground reaction force data were collected during four different SJ tests of SJ70, SJ90, SJ110, and SJ130 (numbers denoted the knee angles) for maximum jump execution of 22 subject...