Motor learning in athletics, the great unknown

Frans Bosch
• automated control specific and universal
• intention action model and intrinsic KR
• the need for variation
• preflexes compensate errors

2012

Coach Athlete

Biomechanical analysis: success as

modeling by the expert no translation
coincidence
combined with objective
data

Psychology of
movement planning
translation and control; controlable
goalsetting and success
actions

automated
control
specific and
universal
 For ad hoc design for
conscious incidental control new movement.
“working memory”

Slow processing
and fast forgotten

For routine movement

patterns.
automated unconcious control
“hard disk” Under time
pressure and long
time memory

Conscious control
conscious incidental control
“working memory”

Learning

automated unconcious control

“hard disk”

Subconscious
conscious incidental control
control
“working memory”

automated unconcious control

“hard disk”
Why skip the working memory???
 simple task.
like lifting?
Wulf ea.

Practice Motor
performance learning

permanent feedback feedback na 1 p feedback na 5 p

25,0

fout

12,5

0
practice (oefenen) retention (terugloop)

Winstein 1996(physical therapy)

retention
 NAAR3CHMIDT,EE 
 
JUISTEPOGINGEN
JUISTEPOGINGEN

 
 
  NADAGEN
  NAWEKEN
 
NAJAAR
 
 
     

OEFENPOGINGENAANLEREN OEFENPOGINGENRETENTIE

9
 conscious incidental control
“working memory”

How is
information
transferred to
the hard drive?

automated unconcious control

“hard disk”

skill acquisition

using
learning new motor motor learning existing
and sensory AND motor and
patterns sensory learning sensory
patterns

Specificity as
automated unconcience control requirement for
“hard disk” transfer

Structure of the hard disk?

specific and universal

2 important properties of
the hard drive
1) specificity

Bosch & Klomp (2001-7): ‘Specific’ training must meet four

criteria:
1) The types of muscle action must be similar to those
used during competition (intra and inter-muscular).
2) The structure of the movement must resemble that
present during competition (motion of the limbs).
3) The sensory information must resemble that present
during competition
4) The dominant energy system used during competition
must be called upon.
5) The movement result must resemble that present
during competition

12
Bosch & Klomp (2001-7): ‘Specific’ training must meet four
criteria:
1) The types of muscle action must be similar to those
used during competition (intra and inter-muscular).
2) The structure of the movement must resemble that
present during competition (motion of the limbs).
3) The sensory information must resemble that present
during competition
4) The dominant energy system used during competition
must be called upon.
5) The movement result must resemble that present
during competition

The usual suspects

13

Bosch & Klomp (2001-7): ‘Specific’ training must meet four

criteria:
1) The types of muscle action must be similar to those
used during competition (intra and inter-muscular).
2) The structure of the movement must resemble that
present during competition (motion of the limbs).
3) The sensory information must resemble that present
during competition
4) The dominant energy system used during competition
must be called upon.
5) The movement result must resemble that present
during competition

14

intrinsic feedback(athlete) whole practice

complex
rhythm environmental
information

simple
posture environmental
information

augmented feedback (coach) part practice

15
 conscious incidental control
“working memory” automated unconcious control
“hard disk”

Bosch & Klomp (2001-7): ‘Specific’ training must meet four

criteria:
1) The types of muscle action must be similar to those used during competition
(intra and inter-muscular).
2) The structure of the movement must resemble that present during competition
(motion of the limbs).
3) The sensory information must resemble that present during competition
4) The dominant energy system used during competition must be called upon.
5) The movement result must resemble that present
during competition

intention (future state) of

the movement

17

Wulf & Prinz;

2001 Psychomotoric Bulletin & Review

Action effect hypothesis

focussing on movement outcome gives a better learning effect
that focussing on performance (knowledge of result versus
knowledge of result)

=> external versus internal focus of attention

=> external focus is more effective with better retention

KP (knowledge of performance) KR (knowledge of

18
result)
feedback from elite coach) feedback from measuring tape)
The body shows remarkable little interest in
what the coach has to say!

imitation with vision on imitation without vision

score on score

task; copy the technique of a model as precise as possible

motor
effector
equivalence

The brain controls intetions?

The cerebellum makes it

fluent?

Spinal relays make it

rhythmical?

Synergies absorb errors?

Cocontractions influence
ROM?
21
2 important properties of
the hard drive
2) universal

problem control solution

problem control solution storage problem

problem control solution retrieval problem
problem control solution

beweeg-probleem
problem

beweeg-probleem
problem
problem solution
besturing
control beweeg-oplossing
solution
beweeg-probleem
problem
problem solution
control
beweeg-probleem
problem
problem solution

problem solution

2 important properties of
the hard drive
2) universal
stride length <> stride frequency

“Equivalent speeds” means equal Froude numbers:

(Speed)2
Gravity × leg length

If a rhino’s legs are 4 times as long as a cat’s legs, a

cat will move (more or less)
like a rhino going twice as fast.

Movement is organised along mathematical rules

Alexander (1992) Exploring Biomechanics
 general control

force procuction << threshold

and
joint angle velocity >> threshold

Learning

concious incidental control Structure of the working

“working memory”
memory?
simple sensory information
brain gives all motor commands

minimal transfer

automated unconcious control Structure of the hard disk?

“hard disk” specific and universal

group in
top shape

which group is
performing best?

group in
slump
Protocol;
hitting height follows tone height
Gray 2004
intention action
model and
intrinsic
KR

effect effect
KR KP
knowledge of knowledge of
result performance

muscle synergy

tendon compliance
cause cause
 A new look at KR feedback

KR feedback

KR within the movement KR outside the movement

the organisme

movement KR intrinsic KR augmented

movement KR intrinsic The shorter the loop, the

better we learn?
 Lockposition of the free hip

the most important intrinsic

result in running and jumping?

Lockposition of the free hip and no residual rotations at

toe off as a result of a good push off

intrinsic KR beacons
for motor control

36
6
 useful in high speed running?
useful in hurdling?
useful in tripple-jump?
useful in long-jump?

frontal plane sagittal plane

amortisation amortisation

high pull<>clean

high pull clean

movement result movement result
unclear total balance
>> >>
no intrinsic feedback good intrinsic feedback 39
 maximal transfer

what does this mean

for traditional training
like in strength
training?

minimal transfer

conclusions

• specificity is not understood well enough.

• sensory specificity may be crucial for

learning, but in coaching we have no good
idea how to augment sensory information
processing.

• the intention (goal / future state) of the

movement planning is a crucial aspect of
specificity

conclusions

• technical internal focus cues activate the

working memory and reduce the learning
process.

• coaching the movement outcome (intention,

result) is more successful than coaching the
movement process.
 the need for
variation

4 degrees of freedom 2 degrees of freedom 1 degrees of freedom

degrees of freedom

}
sternoclaviculare 4 dof
scapula 6 dof
schoulder 6 dof
elbow 2 dof
forearm 2 dof
wrist 4 dof
muscles x dof

impossible to control
acquiring the ideal technique
(controlled by the brain)

fluctuations
unstable elements

eliminate all redundant options

(controlled by the body)

attractors
stable elements
elements can be temporal
and spatial spreaded

If control structure is hiërarchic, the

schema: hiërarchic model
CNS needs to make an precise
estimation of the forces inside and
outside of the body.
 demands
1) sensory information must be precise and in time
signal delayed

sensory
information
is vague and
old muscle length difficult to measure because
of tendon compliance and muscle slack 49

demands
1) the motor information must be precise and in time

-
the bigger the signal,
+/
the bigger the noise

the motor
program is
shaky

50

demands
1) the motor information must be precise and in time
signal delayed

muscle
react
different
each time
force dependent on tendon compliance, F/v, F/L,
fatigue, PAP 51
teh signal from the brain
what do I want to achief

motor
control is
crude and
delayed
(100-150ms supraspinal)

no precise muscle contractions 52

muscles can not be trusted

The brain controls intetions

and crude motor signals?

The cerebellum makes it

fluent?

Spinal relays make it

rhythmical?

Synergies absorb errors?

Cocontractions influence
ROM?
53

The brain controls intetions

and crude motor signals?

The cerebellum makes it

fluent?

Spinal relays make it

rhythmical?

Synergies absorb errors?

Cocontractions influence
ROM?
 VARIATIE

VERLOOPSLAGBEWEGING

speed <> variability

NOITAIRAV
NOITAIRAV

DNE TRATS
GNITTIH
DN E TRATS
GNITTIH

movement result movement process

attractor fluctuation

attractors in outside mechanics

 speed <> variability

NOITAIRAV
DNE TRATS
GNITTIH

movement result movement process

attractor fluctuation

movement result movement process

train for deeper train for adaptive

attractor wells fluctuations

The learning process is

non-linear, because
learning is not just about
getting the technique right,
but also (mainly) to build in
the error compensation
mechanism
 preflexes
compensate
errors

schema: hiërarchisch model dynamic systems

Preflexen;
muscle properties >
influences outside the CNS
 B

A
A B

A B

Preflexes, the role of

cocontractions
0 v

contractile
elastic elements
elements
Conclusions

• Also in a perfect technique some elements

are variable (fluctuations).

• Intrinsic results of movement are linked to

(invariable) attractors. Precise feedback on
movement outcome is useful.

• And train variables (fluctuations) with the aim

to learn the skill to vary

thanks for listening

/IFACScotland

@IFAC_SCOTLAND

2012