Abstract
The conceptual and methodological confusions around the concept of leg stiffness make it difficult to organize the existing knowledge and compare the results obtained by different authors. There are several computation methods, but they do not necessarily yield the same values of leg stiffness. However, these methods provide a more general estimation of quasi- or apparent stiffness, rather than actual stiffness, consistent with strict definitions originating from mechanics. The substantially different values of leg stiffness are likely to have been caused by calculations inconsistent with force-displacement curve profiles. The leg stiffness examined in this study should be viewed as quasi-stiffness, similar to other studies that have examined human continuous motion, due to the contribution of inertia and damping forces. The vast majority of authors should use the term vertical quasi-stiffness of the human body instead of using the concept of leg stiffness. This study seems to be one of the few reports that actually consider leg quasi-stiffness. Correctly estimated leg stiffness values allow for wider use of these values for various needs, including maximizing sports performance, optimizing human movement and designing man-like robots.
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Struzik, A. (2019). Leg Stiffness Controversies and Interpretations. In: Measuring Leg Stiffness During Vertical Jumps . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31794-2_5
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