The Validity of Sprint Canoe and Kayak Key Performance Indicators and Their Relation to Race Performance

Abstract

Improvements in gym technology for quantifying athletic performance, like the GymAware linear position transducer, have increased the number of key performance indicators (KPIs) available to canoe kayak coaches; making it difficult to determine which KPIs are important, accurate and reliable. This research aims to test the validity and reliability of GymAware quantified bench press and bench pull velocities, KPIs and explore relationships between on-water performance metrics and KPIs. Canoe Kayak athletes performed force-velocity (FV) profiling on bench press and bench pull, which involves completing 1-2 repetitions at incrementally increasing loads. Test-retest reliability of the GymAware was assessed over two testing sessions, and GymAware criterion validity was assessed by simultaneously collecting kinematic data on the repetitions performed using the GymAware and passive motion capture. The results from this research suggest that the GymAware is an acceptable athlete monitoring tool, but the specific value should not be used as athlete cut-off metrics.