Key differences in stroke steadiness and kinematic variables in elite 200 m kayakers: insights from triaxial accelerometry

This study aimed to compare the kinematic and stroke steadiness parameters depending on 200 m performance in elite kayakers using GPS-integrated accelerometers. Twenty-one men (25.2 ± 3.8 years of age) and eleven women (24.5 ± 3.9 years) completed 52 races (30 men and 22 women races) across nine competitions. Half of those races were classified into Fast Races (FR) and the other half in Slow Races (SR) for each sex. Kinematic variables, including velocity (v), stroke frequency (SF), stroke length (SL), and stroke index (SI), were analysed. Steadiness was evaluated through long-term steadiness (LTS) and short-term steadiness (STS), representing overall and instantaneous stroke stability, respectively. Results indicated that FRmen exhibited significantly higher SF, SI, and STS values compared to the SRmen (p