Background: Monitoring player mobility in wheelchair sports is crucial for helping coaches understand activity dynamics and optimize training programs. However, the lack of data from monitoring tools, combined with a lack of standardized processing approaches and ineffective data presentation, limits their usability outside of research teams. To address these issues, this study aimed to propose a simple and efficient algorithm for identifying locomotor tasks (static, forward/backward propulsion, pivot/tight/wide rotation) during wheelchair movements, utilizing kinematic data from standard wheelchair mobility tests. Methods: Each participant’s wheelchair was equipped with inertial measurement units—two on the wheel axes and one on the frame. A total of 36 wheelchair tennis and badminton players completed at least one of three proposed tests: the star test, the figure-of-eight test, and the forward/backward test. Locomotor tasks were identified using a five-step procedure involving data reduction, symbolic approximation, and logical pattern searching. Results: This method successfully identified 99% of locomotor tasks for the star test, 95% for the figure-of-eight test, and 100% for the forward/backward test. Conclusion: The proposed method offers a valuable tool for the simple and clear identification and representation of locomotor tasks over extended periods. Future research should focus on applying this method to wheelchair court sports matches and daily life scenarios.

Background: Monitoring the mobility of players during wheelchair sports is essential to support coaches in their understanding of the activity and in their training programming. However, the amount of information available from the monitoring tools, combined with a general approach to processing and a poor presentation of the data to the coaches, is not effective and remains unused. Thus, this study aimed to propose a simple and efficient algorithm for identifying locomotor tasks (static, forward/backward propulsion, pivot/tight/wide rotation) during wheelchair movements based on wheelchair kinematic data. Methods: A total of 36 wheelchair tennis and badminton players participated, completing at least one of three proposed tests: the star test, the figure-of-eight test, and the forward-backward test. Locomotor tasks were identified using a five steps procedure including data reduction, symbolic approximation and pattern logical search. Results: Using this method, 99% of locomotor tasks were properly identified for the star test, 95% for the figure-of-eight test and 100% for the forward-backward test. Conclusion: This method appears to be a valuable tool for a simple and clear identification and representation of locomotor tasks over extended periods of time. Future research should aim at applying this method to multiple wheelchair court sports matches or daily life declination.

Introduction: Wheelchair basketball is a highly dynamic sport that requires optimized propulsion techniques, sprint performance, and fatigue resistance. Understanding the biomechanical differences between age groups is crucial for potential estimation and training optimization. This study aimed to analyze the impact of age on sprint performances by comparing junior and senior wheelchair basketball players, while also identifying factors influencing sprint performances beyond age, such as experience, wheelchair characteristics, and classification.Materials and methods: Twenty-two male wheelchair basketball players were divided into two groups: juniors (21 years or younger) and seniors (22 years and older). Participants completed 6 × 20 m repeated sprint tests, during which various biomechanical parameters including propulsion time, cadence, and asymmetry, were measured using inertial measurement units (IMUs). Fatigue indices were calculated by comparing performance across repeated sprints. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering were applied to identify key performance differentiators among groups.Results: Junior players exhibited significantly lower linear wheelchair velocities from the first three pushes, as well as throughout their best sprint compared to seniors, resulting in significantly longer sprint times in junior players. Additionally, the fatigue index was higher for the junior group. However, no significant differences were found in the stabilized velocity phase, maximum velocity, or propulsion asymmetry of the best sprint. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed three clusters, with experience and wheel size emerging as additional performance differentiators beyond age.Conclusion: The study confirms that age influences, on average, sprint performances in wheelchair basketball, particularly in the initial acceleration phase, but the wide interindividual variabilities within age groups were also linked to experience and wheelchair characteristics.

In the context of wheelchair racing, research primarily focuses on studying wheelchair ergonomics and determining kinematic, kinetic, and rolling resistance variables. One factor identified as influencing athletes’ performance is wheel skidding on the ground, a parameter complementary to rolling resistance. The objective of this study, therefore, is to identify, within a laboratory setting, the parameters that influence the risk of skidding in racing wheelchairs by measuring skidding torque. The ultimate goal is to enhance athletes’ performance by optimizing the interaction between the athlete and their wheelchair, and the wheelchair and the environment. In this perspective, four parameters were examined: the type of tubular, the camber angle, the tire pressure, and the load applied to the wheel using a skidometer. This tool characterizes a tire’s grip on a surface by measuring torques. The aim is to develop a system for classifying tire grip on dry athletics track at ambient temperature. The findings revealed that only the effects of load and tubular type had a significant impact on the torque values obtained. The tire that minimized the risk of skidding, among all tested combinations, is the Vittoria Pista Speed 23–28″. Furthermore, as the mass applied to the wheel increases, so do the resulting torques. This implies that a heavier athlete would require a greater force to be applied to the hand rim for the tire to skid. However, it was also demonstrated that the risk of skidding in a racing wheelchair is unlikely, as the torques obtained were over a range of 90 to 190 Nm. These values far exceed those typically exerted by para-athletes, which are a maximum of 60 Nm. The long-term goal would be to adjust the mode of torque application on the wheel using the skidometer for a more realistic field approach.

Measuring the propulsion performance of sport wheelchairs in ecological conditions remains complex due to variations inherent in real-world practice. This study aims to develop a validation protocol for an instrumented wheel designed to measure propulsion power under ecological conditions. The wheel’s precision was compared to that of the Lode Esseda roller ergometer, the gold standard for measuring the force exerted on both the left and right hands. Tests were conducted at three speeds (1, 2, and 3 m/s) on a multisport wheelchair. Results show a strong correlation between the two systems, confirmed by a repeated measures ANOVA test (p > 0.05) and a root mean square error (RMSE < 5%). Bland–Altman plots reveal good agreement despite discrepancies observed at high speeds, potentially due to mechanical limits. The proposed protocol validates the instrumented wheel and highlights the importance of multi-speed evaluation to ensure valid measurements in ecological conditions.