Research projects highlights
Postgraduate research projects
CHASE has several exciting and innovative postgraduate research projects currently underway, with collaboration and funding from organisations such as the Australian Institute of Sport, Swimming Australia, New Zealand Rugby Union, the Kirk Foundation and Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital.
Postgraduate research projects include:
Performance Analysis of Paralympic Swimming
PhD candidate
- Sacha Fulton
PhD scholarship - a combined initiative of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) and Swimming Australia.
Purpose
This research will contribute greatly to the knowledge, theory and practice of enhancing performance of Paralympic swimmers.
Research
There are four separate components of the overall research project:
- video-based analysis of International Paralympic swimming performance
- relationships between training and competition performance in Paralympic swimming
- quantifying freestyle kick for Paralympic swimming performance
- influence of maximal assisted freestyle kicking on net force production in Paralympic swimmers
The methodological approaches adopted for the research project include retrospective evaluation, prospective observation and controlled trial experimentation, which combined will provide swimmers, coaches and sports scientists with useful information for current and future training techniques and racing strategies.
The research project is due for completion at the end of 2008, and research outcomes will be submitted to The International Journal of Sports Medicine and The Journal of Sports Sciences for possible publication.
Supervisors - Professor David Pyne (AIS) and Associate Professor Brendan Burkett (USC)
Co-supervisors - Dr Rebecca Mellifont (USC) and Professor William Hopkins (Auckland University of Technology).
The Biomechanical Foundations of Agility Performance in Rugby Union
PhD candidate - Keane Wheeler
PhD scholarship - New Zealand Rugby Union
Purpose
To investigate the running patterns displayed by rugby union athletes during evasive attacking manoeuvres.
Research
This research project aims to define the key biomechanical determinants of agility in rugby union, such that improvements may be made to an athlete's running technique to enhance the speed of performance, as well as the effectiveness of skill execution in contact with a defensive opponent.
Supervisor - Dr Mark Sayers (USC)
Co-supervisor - Dr Christopher Askew (USC)
The Use of Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems Technology to Assess GAIT Characteristics
PhD candidate - Jim Lee
PhD scholarship - Kirk Foundation
Purpose
The validation and development of inertial sensors to remotely measure human gait movement.
What are inertial sensors?
Inertial sensors belong to a technological group known as Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The sensors being used in this candidature are small, slightly smaller than the size of a matchbox and are comprised of a triaxial accelerometer, which measures acceleration in the forward (x), sideways (y), and vertical (z) directions while walking or running. The units also house a single rate gyroscope to measure angular velocity in a chosen plane.
Research
There are three parallel components to the research process. Firstly, the validation of inertial sensors has occurred by measuring triathletes running on a treadmill and comparing this data to that of an infra red camera system. Secondly, data has been collected from race walkers to establish whether gait patterns can be observed and measured during an extreme form of walking. Thirdly, stroke patients will be monitored during rehabilitation to compare whether the use of a pressure sock aids in the patient’s recovery. Further monitoring of stroke patients is expected shortly.
Jim presented preliminary findings of the race walking analysis at the 3rd Asian-Pacific Congress on Sports Technology, held in Singapore in late September 2007. The presentation looked at similarities and differences between normal walking gait and race walking gait. From the 135 presentations, Jim was one of ten finalists for the Young Investigator Award, and whilst he was not successful in attaining this Award, congratulations are extended to Jim on being chosen as a finalist! The conference was designed for information to be presented from engineers and sports scientists, and was a rare opportunity for both disciplines to interact in such a manner at an international level.
Supervisor - Associate Professor Brendan Burkett (USC)
Co-supervisors - Dr Rebecca Mellifont (USC) and Dr Danny James (Griffith University)
Muscle Fatigue in Peripheral Arterial Disease: the Role of Blood Flow and Muscle Metabolism
PhD candidate - Brad Stefanovic
PhD scholarship - Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and USC
Purpose
To understand how the decreases in blood flow that patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) experience during exercise is related to their level of fatigue.
Research
Patients with PAD experience difficulty in performing normal tasks of daily living. The nature of the disease is that it causes minor to major occlusions of the arteries of the lower extremities which reduce blood flow and induce a painful symptom during exercise known as claudication. This pain inhibits the patient’s ability to perform many normal activities of daily living, eg walking. This research will involve several studies looking at the acute effects of exercise on blood flow and fatigue. The changes in muscle metabolism have also been investigated through obtaining muscle biopsy samples from patients under local anaesthetic and during surgery. Future investigations will focus on the effect of training before and after surgery on the blood flow, fatigue and muscle metabolic responses in PAD patients.
Supervisor - Dr Christopher Askew (USC)
Co-supervisors - Associate Professor Philip Walker and Dr Fraser Russell (USC)
For more information please contact CHASE
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