Our purpose in observing the differences between a male and female during a standing long jump was to observe gender-related differences in long jump kinematics. We found that there is a noticeable difference in the male long jumper over the female long jumper. Our linear displacement data shows a greater horizontal displacement in the male knee joint, which implies that the male jump covered a greater distance. We can attribute this difference to a greater range of motion of the hip joint. Another important finding was the considerable difference between the male and female jumper in terms of knee and hip coordination. The male coordination of the knee and hip joint angles showed a noticeable correlation, his hip and knee joints experienced flexion simultaneously. Conversely, the female showed little coordination. As the hip flexed, there was little or no movement in her knee. This difference may have also played a role in producing the differences seen in the male for absolute jump distance.
According to Horita et al. (1991), improved performance in the long jump may be accredited to "a wide range of motion of the lower limb segments during flight phase." This difference may have contributed to a further jumping distance. However, it has also been demonstrated that long jump distance can be affected by other factors. One implication of our results might be related to muscle mass differences between males and females. According to one study, "for a given lean volume, the male performance was significantly superior to that of the female" (Davies et al., 1988). This shows that a further long jump may be affected by other factors, including differences concerning certain joint angles (hip and knee) and segment positions. This is exactly what our study discovered. Overall, the standing long jump movements between the male and female were very similar in respect to general body position and joint angles. However, the minor differences mentioned above affect the actual distance jumped. While we see gender-related differences in long jumping kinematics, to truly understand how they impact performance, studies need to be conducted considering these other factors.
The limitations of our study are important to consider. Our male subject spent a majority of his life in Israel where he learned long jump techniques that differ from techniques developed in the United States. Another limitation could be that our results are based on one trial as opposed to an average of trials. With an average of trials our data may have been more accurate in regards to the norm for each of our subjects. Lastly, a third limitation could be that our study focused on one male subject and one female subject rather than several male subjects and several female subjects. This makes it difficult for our results to generalize an entire population. The next step might be to develop techniques that increase the range of motion in the hip joint for female long jumpers. It seems as though this range of motion plays a key role in longer jumping distances, therefore our focus should concentrate on this. If we were able to improve the hip range of motion in females, who knows if a male or female would hold the world record.
Davies, B., Greenwood, E., and Jones, S. (December 1988). Gender difference in the relationship of performance in the handgrip and standing long jump test to lean limb volume in young adults. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology 58: 315-320.
Horita, T., Kitamura, K., and Kohno, N. (September 1991). Body configuration and joint moment analysis during standing long jump in 6-yr-old children and adult males. Medicine and science in sports and exercise 23: 1068-1072.
Seyfarth, A., Blickhan, R., and Van Leeuwen, J.L. (January 2000), Optimum Take off Techniques and Muscle Design for Long Jump. The Journal of Experimental Biology 203: 741-750.
Yeadon, Maurice R., (Jul/Aug 1997). The Biomechanics of the human in flight. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 25: 575-580.