METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ASSESSING MUSCULAR CAPACITIES OF ATHLETES USING SHORT TESTS

• US 20090069722A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slyde Analytics LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Myotest SA
• Inventors: FLACTION, Patrick, PRAZ, Manu
• Granted Patent: US 8,840,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/224 Measuring muscular strength
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

Device (1) for measuring muscular capacity, comprising:

• • removable fastening means (12) for fastening the device to the athlete or to the moved weight (3; 2);
  • autonomous electrical power supply means (15);
  • a display (11);
  • a three-axis accelerometer (14) for delivering a sequence of accelerations (a(t)) along the axis of movement of the weight, said sequence comprising at least 100 measurements per second over a duration between 1 and 10 seconds; and
  • data processing means (16) for determining, at the end of the test, on the basis of said sequence of accelerations, at least one quantity representative of the muscular capacity of the athlete and for displaying this quantity on said display (11).

Claims

1. A method of evaluating muscular physiological parameters of athletes using a short test, such as lifts and/or jumps, comprising the following steps:

a removable and electrically autonomous measurement device is fastened to a weight that moves during said test, said measurement device being based on a three-axis accelerometer;

a sequence of successive accelerations of said weight is determined during said test; and

immediately at the end of said test, at least one quantity representative of said muscular capacity, which is determined from said sequence of accelerations, is indicated on a display of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes a step of converting the sequence of accelerations along three axes, delivered by said three-axis accelerometer, into a sequence of accelerations along the presumed direction of movement of said weight.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes a step of initially selecting the type of test from a list comprising at least:

a weight lift;

a jump by the athlete,

the determination of said displayed quantity depending on the type of test chosen.

4. The method of claim 3, in which said list comprises at least the following tests:

a weight lift;

a squat jump and/or countermovement jump; and

a drop jump.

5. The method of claim 3, which includes a step of inputting at least one parameter of the test from the following parameters:

the mass of said weight;

the jump height;

the weight of the sportsman.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the parameter to be input depends on the type of test selected.

7. The method of claim 3, in which the choice of quantity displayed depends on the type of test selected.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the method of calculation of the displayed quantity depends on the type of test selected.

9. The method of claim 1, in which said displayed quantity is determined by taking into account a priori knowledge of the form of at least one portion of said sequence of accelerations.

10. The method of claim 1, in which said at least one displayed quantity comprises at least one quantity proportional to the maximum power deployed by said athlete during the test.

11. The method of claim 10, said maximum power being an instantaneous maximum power.

12. The method of claim 10, said maximum power being a maximum power during a time interval of predetermined duration corresponding to several sampling instants.

13. The method of claim 10, said maximum power being a maximum power during a time interval between two key instants of the test.

14. The method of claim 1, which includes a step of automatically determining at least one key instant or a key duration of the test from said sequence of accelerations, said displayed quantity being determined by taking into account at least one said key instant or key duration.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the determination of said key instant or said key duration depends on the type of test selected.

16. The method of claim 14, in which said key instant (T_i) or said key duration is displayed on said display.

17. The method of claim 1, which includes a calculation step and a display step for calculating and displaying, after said test, the maximum force enhancement.

18. The method of claim 1, in which said at least one displayed quantity comprises at least one quantity proportional to the maximum velocity of said weight during the test.

19. The method of claim 1, in which a sequence of accelerations and/or of data calculated from these accelerations is transmitted to an external processing device for calculating and displaying other quantities or graphs representative of said muscular capacity.

20. The method of claim 1, which includes a step of determining the vertical direction using indications provided by said three-axis accelerometer.

21. The method of claim 1, in which said test is a jump, in which a parameter proportional to the mass of the athlete is input into said device, in which said device is fastened to the waist or trunk of the athlete, in which the vertical direction is determined before the jump on the basis of indications from said accelerometer at rest before the jump, and in which said displayed quantity is aimed at estimating the explosive power of the athlete.

22. The method of claim 1, in which said test is a weight lift, in which a parameter proportional to the weight lifted is input into said device, in which said device is removably fitted so as to move with said weight, in which the vertical direction is determined before the lift on the basis of indications from said accelerometer at rest, and in which said displayed quantity is aimed at estimating the power of the athlete.

23. The method of claim 1, in which the duration of said test is less than 10 seconds and in which a said acceleration is measured at least every 100th of a second.

24. A method of evaluating muscular physiological parameters of athletes using short tests, which comprises the following steps:

a removable and electrically autonomous measurement device is fastened to a weight that moves during the test, said measurement device being based on a three-axis accelerometer;

the type of test is selected from a list comprising at least one weight lift test and at least one jump test performed by the athlete;

a successive sequence of accelerations of said weight is determined during said test;

a quantity representative of said muscular capacity is calculated on the basis of the acceleration data along the presumed direction of movement of said weight; and

said quantity is displayed.

25. A test device, comprising:

removable fastening means for fastening said device to a moved weight;

autonomous electrical power supply means;

a display;

a three-axis accelerometer for delivering a sequence of accelerations along the axis of movement of said weight, said sequence comprising at least 100 measurements per second over a duration between 1 and 10 seconds; and

data processing means for determining, at the end of the test, on the basis of said sequence of accelerations, at least one quantity representative of the muscular capacity of the athlete and for displaying this quantity on said display.

26. The device of claim 25, which further includes removable means for linking to a computer, a PDA and/or an external computer.

27. The device of claim 25, which further includes means for selecting the type of exercise performed from a list of several possible exercises.

28. The device of claim 25, in which said removable fastening means are intended for fastening said device to the athlete'"'"'s waist and/or trunk.

29. The device of claim 25, in which said removable fastening means include a Velcro strip.

30. The device of claim 25, said three-axis accelerometer having at least one preferential measurement axis, the measurement results from which are affected less by a smaller error than those of the good of the other two axes, said removable fastening means being designed to fasten said device by aligning said preferential measurement axis substantially with the vertical direction.

34. A system comprising a device as claimed in any of the claims 25 or 31 and a data processing medium, comprising a computer program intended to be executed by an external processing unit for displaying additional quantities on the basis of the data measured by said device.

31. A test device intended to be fastened to a moved weight, comprising:

an autonomous electrical power supply;

a display;

a three-axis accelerometer for delivering a sequence of accelerations along the axis of movement of the weight; and

a microprocessor programmed to allow selection of the type of exercise performed from a list of several possible exercises, to determine, at the end of the exercise, on the basis of said sequence of accelerations, at least one quantity representative of the athlete'"'"'s muscular capacity and then to display this quantity on said display.

32. A test device, comprising:

a Velcro strip, for fastening the device to a moved weight;

an autonomous electrical power supply;

an accelerometer for delivering a sequence of accelerations along the axis of movement of the weight; and

a microprocessor programmed to determine, at the end of the test, on the basis of said sequence of accelerations, at least one quantity representative of the athlete'"'"'s muscular capacity and then to display this quantity.

33. The device of claim 32, which includes a belt for fastening the device close to the center of mass of the athlete.