MARQUETTE, MI— Some NMU faculty and students are testing a new basketball flooring system.
The School of Health and Human Performance is partnering with Action Floor Systems based in Mercer, Wisconsin on the project.
Assistant Professor Matt Kilgas says a basketball player will jump 70 or more times a game, which could lead to injury to knee and ankle joints. Researchers are measuring the peak force upon landing, along with the impulse, or the change in momentum. They’re also using a 2D camera to monitor the joint angles of the ankle, knee, and hip upon landing to see if they vary on different maple systems.
Researchers will co-author a paper on whether there is a reduction in impact forces with the new flooring and, if so, whether that results in a tradeoff related to performance.
