The Number of Trials Required to Obtain a Representative Movement Pattern During a Hurdle Hop Exercise

Abstract

When reporting a subject's mean movement pattern, it is important to ensure that reported values are representative of the subject's typical movement. While previous studies have used the mean of 3 trials, scientific justification of this number is lacking. One approach is to determine statistically how many trials are required to achieve a representative mean. This study compared 4 methods of calculating the number of trials required in a hopping movement to achieve a representative mean. Fifteen males completed 15 trials of a lateral hurdle hop. Range of motion at the trunk, pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle, in addition to peak moments for the latter 3 joints were examined. The number of trial..