Validation of a Rhythmic Jumping Task for the Assessment of Upper-Lower Limb Coordination: Evidence from High-Level Athletes.

Background

A rhythmic jumping task that does not require specialized equipment may represent a simple method to assess upper-lower-limb coordination in athletes. Previous studies have been limited to groups with relatively low coordination ability; thus, whether task performance reflects the ability level or remains reproducible over time is unclear. This study determined whether the rhythmic jumping task reflects coordination levels in high-level performers, verified its generalizability as an assessment tool, and evaluated its reproducibility over time.

Methods

Twenty-eight female high school volleyball players who routinely engaged in coordination training were enrolled, and performed six rhythmic jumping tasks identical to those used in a previous study. Performance was evaluated using three indices: complete performance rate (successful completion of all four series), success rate of at least one series, and average number of successful series. Twelve participants were retested 1 year later to examine reproducibility.

Results

The high-level group demonstrated an overall superior performance compared to the low-level group from a previous study. Easier conditions yielded higher success rates, whereas more difficult conditions yielded lower success rates. Retest results demonstrated reproducible performance patterns over time.

Conclusions

The rhythmic jumping task appropriately reflected coordination ability: high-level performers outperformed low-level performers. The task maintained a consistent difficulty order and reproducible performance across groups and over time, supporting its validity and generalizability as a practical and reliable tool to assess upper- and lower-limb coordination in applied athletic settings and provides a foundation for its further refinement and application as a standardized coordination assessment method.