Proprioception in the Improvement of Sports Performance in Long Jumpers.

Using a competition simulator will measure the performance of the athlete, seeking to get as close as possible to the conditions of competition. To carry out this measurement, the athletes will make three full length jumps with approach run of between 14 and 17 steps. Previously, the jumpers will perform their usual warm-up and, between jump and jump, they will have an active rest of 10 minutes. The jump will be measured from the tip of the foot of takeoff, on the board of beaten, to the mark of the sand using a tape measure. The unit of measurement is the centimeter (the greater the distance, the greater the athlete's performance).

Through the vertical jump test we will evaluate the jump performance. This measuring instrument has been shown to have high reliability in the measurement of jump performance [ICC = 0.97]. To carry out the evaluation, each subject will perform a practice jump before the test to be measured. The athlete will be placed with both feet resting on the ground, and a shoulder-width apart and a 90º knee flexion, requesting him to make a maximum vertical jump using the arms. The height of the jump will be determined with a tape measure attached to the wall and the chalk mark that the athlete makes in his jump. Each subject will make two jumps and the best score will be chosen for the analysis. The unit of measurement is the centimeter (the greater the distance, the greater the athlete's performance).

Through the horizontal jump test the performance of the athlete will be measured. This measuring instrument has a high intraclass correlation [ICC = 0.93]. The starting position of the athletes will be with both feet resting on the ground, with a shoulder-width apart, following a line marked on the ground. The hands will be placed in neutral position, asking the subjects to make a countermovement with the legs and arms jumping horizontally as much as possible. Finally, they should fall into the sand pit with both feet, registering the horizontal distance between the start line and the heel. The athletes may perform two jumps, being estimated as the value of the evaluation, the best score of both. The unit of measurement is the centimeter (the greater the distance, the greater the athlete's performance).

The unipodal Romberg test is the measuring instrument that will be used for the evaluation of proprioception. It consists of asking the athlete to stand with unipodal support, preferably barefoot and with arms on the sides of the body, maintaining the posture without leaning on their hands. The evaluator, at his side, will be attentive to prevent the athlete from falling due to loss of balance. First you will observe the ability to stay in the position with your eyes open for 5-10 seconds, and if there is postural stability with your eyes open, you will be asked to close your eyes for 20-30 seconds. The unit of measurement of the test is temporary (seconds), indicating a higher score a better proprioception.

The Star Excusion Balance Test will be used to evaluate proprioception. This test consists of placing a tape measure on the ground, forming an eight-pointed star, with a 45º separation between them. The patient will be placed with unipodal support in the center of the star, and with the foot in the air you should try to touch as far as possible each line of the star. The evaluator will record the measurement of each line. Each athlete will perform the test three times with each leg, and the evaluator will take the average of those three measurements. The unit of measure is the centimeter, where a greater distance indicates better proprioception.