Accelerometry DRAFT - CONFIDENTIAL

Accelerometry
The Minimaxx unit from Catapult Innovations offers much more than just GPS tracking. By integrating inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes), the Minimaxx can measure impact load, directional movement and even identify particular activities during training or games. When a Minimaxx is fixed firmly to an athlete, the inertial sensors within the unit can measure the movements of that athlete. Two elements of the accelerometer measurements are of particular interest, the amount of acceleration and the pattern of acceleration. The amount of acceleration provides an indication of the forces applied to the athlete. The pattern of acceleration (in conjunction with measurements from the gyroscopes) indicates what movements the athlete was executing. Both measurements can be used to enhance the information from GPS tracking.

kicks during a training session will show how much physical load was placed on the hamstrings and quadriceps over and above the load due to the running element of the training session. Directional running will also be very useful in sports where there is a significant component of backwards running. This is because the energy cost of running backwards is very different to the energy required to run forwards, but the GPS information will only provide information on how far the athlete has run. To get the full picture, the GPS information must be combined with the directional component from the accelerometer information. Stride rate is also a very important value to examine, especially when combined with running velocity to calculate stride length. Changes in the stride rate to length relationship can indicate when an athlete is getting tired, and when they are changing their stride to compensate for their fatigue. Acceleration pattern analysis is used regularly in sports like rowing and kayaking to evaluate technique. In sports where there is a cycle of motion that is repeated, analysing the pattern of acceleration can provide valuable insights into technique deficiencies. Analysing the way acceleration

Pattern Analysis
Different types of movements (like running backwards, bending down, or executing a skill like a kick) produce different patterns from the inertial sensors. For instance, if the unit is placed between the shoulder blades, the forward/backwards acceleration will be measured by the z direction accelerometer. There is a distinctive pattern of acceleration when the athlete is running forwards. However, when the athlete is running backwards, the pattern of acceleration from the z accelerometer will be opposite to the pattern produced when running forwards. By matching common patterns of acceleration to standard movements, the Minimaxx is able to detect when those standard movements are occurring. Movements detected through pattern matching can range from the simple identification of stride rate during running to more complex movements like tackles and kicks. Using these values in training and game analysis can significantly enhance the information gained from the GPS measures of distance and time. For instance, a simple count of

changes as an athlete fatigues is another useful tool for a coach, especially when the acceleration is paired with video. Identifying how and where in the stroke or stride acceleration changes gives the coach specific elements of an athletes technique to focus on when using video for further analysis.

Impact Load
Since there is a direct link between Force, Mass (weight) and Acceleration, the amount of acceleration measured indicates the amount of force being placed onto the Minimaxx unit. In running, the majority of this load is due to the foot hitting the ground, which produces a spike in acceleration that is regularly over 5 times the acceleration due to gravity (5g). By calculating the overall size of acceleration, it can be used as a measure of impact load on an athlete.

CONFIDENTIAL March 2009 - catapult innovations - 1 Dalmore Drive Scoresby Victoria Australia 3179 - Ph +61 (3) 9095 8410

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There are many ways that impact load can be used to enhance the information from GPS tracking. You can calculate a single variable which simply accumulates the acceleration values. This will be a good rough value for impact load, but will treat all impacts the same whether they are big or small. In reality, the larger impacts have an exponentially larger effect on the body (a 5g load has more than 5 times the effect on a body of a 1g load). To cater for this, accelerations can be scaled to magnify the effect of higher impacts. In practice, impact load can be used in conjunction with the GPS information to provide an indication of total load on an athlete. The difference between the two measures is that impact load measures the structural load on an athlete, while GPS measures the physiological load. A good example of how this can be used is when an athlete runs the same distance two weeks in a row, but the impact load is much higher in the second week. Because the total load on an athlete is a combination of physiological and structural, the higher load during the second session will mean that more recovery will be required after that session. The impact load can also be very useful when there is no GPS information available (when playing indoors for instance), or the GPS information is unreliable (like in a stadium with high stands that compromise the quality of the GPS information). In these situations, the impact load can give you enough information to estimate the physiological load on an athlete. The main assumption made here is that there is a consistent relationship between impact load and physiological load. Though this assumption is fine in most situations, you need to keep in mind what would change this relationship (like playing on harder surfaces which provide higher impacts) and alter the use of impact load as a substitute for physiological load accordingly. Calculating the structural load on an athlete can be very beneficial when used as an aid in the recovery process. It can provide valuable information about the impact of each training session or game which can be used to tailor post session recovery and either increase or decrease the training load in subsequent sessions. It can also be used as an

aid in the recovery from long term injury. For instance, if an athlete is recovering from a skeletal injury like a fracture, monitoring the impact load during recovery will help to manage the structural load placed on the athlete during their recovery. Progressively increasing the impact load during will help to ensure a return to fitness while minimising the risk of re-injury.

CONFIDENTIAL March 2009 - catapult innovations - 1 Dalmore Drive Scoresby Victoria Australia 3179 - Ph +61 (3) 9095 8410