Monitoring of Kinetic Parameters in Sprint Canoeing Performance

Flatwater sprint canoeing is a cyclic sport where the paddler, through the use of a double or single paddle, applies the force in the water to overcome the drag (friction, surface, and wave) and cover in a short time the race distances. The two disciplines, kayaking (K1-K2-K4), and canoe (C1-C2-C4), are different from the biomechanical point of view on the force application. The flatwater kayak athletes are seated on the boat and apply the force through a synchronized action of upper limbs that hold a double-blade paddle, trunk rotations, pelvis seat bond, and push of lower limbs on the footrest to balance the forces acting on the boat. On the contrary, in canoeing the athletes are in a kneeling position holding a single-blade paddle. To maximize the acceleration, the force application depends on the synchronized action of upper limbs, trunk flexion, and knee bond. Some of these aspects can be measured with sensor systems. For kayaking, there are several devices useful to monitor the performance through the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and instrumented paddle. Instead, for canoe performance the scientific literature is poor and dated or used an invasive method to measure the paddle force. This study aims to show the potential advantages and limits of the e-kayak system in monitoring the kinematic and dynamic parameters of the paddlers’ performance in both kayaking and sprint canoeing disciplines.