Table 1. Descriptive values (estimated marginal means and standard deviations) and results of the LMM analyses for the relay starts according to the relay technique and gender.
Parameter Parameter Gender Relay start technique Linear Mixed Model
Male (n=90) Female (n=55) Short step (n=91) Long step (n=54) Gender Relay technique Technique × gender
P d P d P d
TIMING OF BLOCK MOVEMENTS Upper-limbs horizontal (s) 0.28 (0.04) 0.23 (0.05) 0.26 (0.04) 0.26 (0.05) <.001 1.14 0.95 0.09 <.001 0.88
Rear foot take-off (s) 0.31 (0.07) 0.35 (0.09) 0.31 (0.07) 0.35 (0.08) 0.002 0.56 0.012 0.44 0.020 0.51
Upper-limbs vertical (s) 0.41 (0.06) 0.45 (0.07) 0.41 (0.06) 0.46 (0.07) 0.001 0.57 <.001 0.61 <.001 0.95
Rear foot support (s) 0.53 (0.05) 0.62 (0.08) 0.50 (0.07) 0.65 (0.07) <.001 1.33 <.001 2.10 <.001 1.12
Upper-limbs horizontal 2 (s) 0.57 (0.08) 0.60 (0.10) 0.56 (0.08) 0.62 (0.10) 0.032 0.37 <.001 0.78 0.004 0.63
Upper-limbs vertical 2 (s) 0.68 (0.08) 0.75 (0.10) 0.67 (0.08) 0.76 (0.10) <.001 0.74 <.001 0.95 <.001 0.94
Take-off (s) 0.88 (0.09) 0.98 (0.12) 0.88 (0.10) 0.99 (0.12) <.001 1.00 <.001 1.04 0.039 0.45
STEP PHASE Peak HF while performing the step (bodyweight) 0.42 (0.09) 0.34 (0.16) 0.41 (0.13) 0.35 (0.15) 0.003 0.54 0.006 0.48 0.004 0.63
Time of peak HF while performing the step (s) 0.14 (0.09) 0.18 (0.12) 0.14 (0.09) 0.17 (0.11) 0.020 0.41 0.051 0.34 0.404 0.18
HV at peak HF while performing the step (m/s) 0.61 (0.16) 0.51 (0.16) 0.52 (0.15) 0.61 (0.20) 0.003 0.52 0.005 0.50 0.438 0.17
HV at foot contact after step swing (m/s) 1.08 (0.19) 0.84 (0.25) 0.91 (0.20) 1.01 (0.24) <.001 1.06 0.018 0.42 0.653 0.10
DRIVING PHASE Maximal HF (bodyweight) 1.62 (0.20) 1.69 (0.27) 1.48 (0.21) 1.83 (0.27) 0.117 0.27 <.001 1.41 0.002 0.69
Time at max. HF (s) 0.75 (0.09) 0.85 (0.10) 0.77 (0.09) 0.84 (0.10) <.001 1.10 <.001 0.72 0.003 0.68
HV at max. HF (m/s) 3.10 (0.21) 2.76 (0.39) 2.72 (0.31) 3.17 (0.35) <.001 1.03 <.001 1.19 0.757 0.07
Max. VF (bodyweight) 1.99 (0.20) 1.96 (0.24) 1.84 (0.19) 2.12 (0.24) 0.501 0.12 <.001 1.23 0.120 0.33
Time at max. VF (s) 0.70 (0.09) 0.80 (0.11) 0.70 (0.09) 0.80 (0.11) <.001 0.97 <.001 1.01 0.031 0.47
VV at max. VF (m/s) -0.91 (0.27) -1.14 (0.35) -1.04 (0.27) -1.01 (0.35) <.001 0.72 0.618 0.09 <.001 1.12
TAKE-OFF PHASE HV at take-off (m/s) 4.3 (0.23) 4.07 (0.29) 3.84 (0.23) 4.54 (0.29) <.001 0.86 <.001 2.62 0.876 0.03
VV at take-off (m/s) -0.68 (0.37) -1.22 (0.54) -0.88 (0.40) -1.02 (0.52) <.001 1.13 0.099 0.29 0.011 0.55
Resultant velocity (m/s) 4.38 (0.26) 4.29 (0.45) 3.97 (0.26) 4.70 (0.33) 0.087 0.30 <.001 2.41 0.703 0.08
Take-off angle (°) -8.99 (4.13) -16.42 (7.08) -12.85 (5.20) -12.57 (6.59) 0.001 1.22 0.791 0.05 0.031 0.47
OVERALL PERFORMANCE Time span take-off till 5 m (s) 0.82 (0.07) 0.93 (0.08) 0.92 (0.07) 0.83 (0.08) <.001 1.38 <.001 1.10 0.249 0.25
Time span take-off till 10 m (s) 2.96 (0.16) 3.65 (0.27) 3.35 (0.22) 3.26 (0.24) <.001 2.99 0.030 0.39 0.227 0.26
HF = horizontal force, VF = vertical force, HV = horizontal velocity, VV = vertical velocity