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Abstract
Acceptance of the klap speed skate was fully realized on the World speed skating scene in 1997. However, one of the most important unknowns regarding the klapskate was the positioning of the point of foot rotation (pivot point), believed to play an important role in optimizing klapskate performance. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a physiological relationship between knee and ankle energetics provides predictive ability as to where the optimal pivot point positioning is for an individual.
Significant correlations were found between two physiological ratios, and optimal pivot point placement, for subjects that had significant pivot point placement effects (n = 9). A knee/ankle power ratio correlated with optimal pivot point provided an R = −0.70, and a knee/ankle energy ratio correlated with optimal pivot point provided an R = −0.68. These results indicate that the optimal pivot point for an individual skater is partially dependent on their knee and ankle strengths.
