Effects of a Targeted Training Intervention on Spatiotemporal and Kinematic Parameters of 110-m Hurdle Clearance

Abstract

The kinematic and spatiotemporal features of the 110-meter hurdle clearance were examined after an 8-week focused training intervention. The study included 16 male hurdle athletes (n = 16) at the national and university levels. Using a multi-camera 3D motion capture system, a fifth hurdle was utilised to collect kinematic data in a pre-test-post-test experimental design. Takeoff distance, landing distance, time of flight, angle of lead leg, time of clearance, knee flexion of trail leg, trunk lean, and centre of mass (COM) height were the basic variables. Significant improvements were observed in the majority of variables after this intervention. In addition to shorter flight and clearance times, hurdlers demonstrated greater takeoff and landing distances, demonstrating enhanced temporal efficiency. Kinematic adaptations included higher quality lead leg extension, more optimum trail leg recovery and the control of the trunk, which all help to make the mechanics of obstacle clearance smoother. The inferential analysis revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-test measures (p < 0.05) with a moderate to large effect size, thus highlighting the effectiveness of the intervention. The results indicated that spatiotemporal as well as kinematic parameters can be significantly improved in the hurdle clearance performance, based on the training that is biomechanically up-to-date and targeted. The findings of this research give coaches and hurdlers a number of practical ideas to improve hurdling efficiency through evidence-based methods.