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Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

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  • Title: The Future of Classification in Wheelchair Sports: Can Data Science and Technological Advancement Offer an Alternative Point of View?
    Author: van der Slikke RMA, Bregman DJJ, Berger MAM, de Witte AMH, Veeger DHEJ.
    Journal: Int J Sports Physiol Perform; 2018 Jul 01; 13(6):742-749. PubMed ID: 29091467.
    Abstract:
    PURPOSE: Classification is a defining factor for competition in wheelchair sports, but it is a delicate and time-consuming process with often questionable validity. New inertial sensor-based measurement methods applied in match play and field tests allow for more precise and objective estimates of the impairment effect on wheelchair-mobility performance. The aim of the present research was to evaluate whether these measures could offer an alternative point of view for classification. METHODS: Six standard wheelchair-mobility performance outcomes of different classification groups were measured in match play (n = 29), as well as best possible performance in a field test (n = 47). RESULTS: In match results, a clear relationship between classification and performance level is shown, with increased performance outcomes in each adjacent higher-classification group. Three outcomes differed significantly between the low- and mid-classified groups, and 1, between the mid- and high-classified groups. In best performance (field test), there was a split between the low- and mid-classified groups (5 out of 6 outcomes differed significantly) but hardly any difference between the mid- and high-classified groups. This observed split was confirmed by cluster analysis, revealing the existence of only 2 performance-based clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The use of inertial sensor technology to obtain objective measures of wheelchair-mobility performance, combined with a standardized field test, produced alternative views for evidence-based classification. The results of this approach provide arguments for a reduced number of classes in wheelchair basketball. Future use of inertial sensors in match play and field testing could enhance evaluation of classification guidelines, as well as individual athlete performance.
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