Development of a standardized protocol that quantifies kinematic and kinetic effects of protective equipment on the human body

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Personal protective equipment (PPE), specifically protective clothing, is primarily designed to minimize impact forces; however, the effect that the equipment has on the human body is often overlooked. Wearing PPE can increase the cardiovascular and metabolic cost, increase sweat rate leading to potential cognitive deficits and increase musculoskeletal demands. This recent evidence has Reebok-CCM hockey re-thinking their design process from creating the lightest most protective equipment that suits a goaltender's style of play, to designing a goal pad that also addresses the problems associated with wearing PPE. The initial step to modifying Reebok-CCM's goal pads is to understand how the PPE applies forces to the lower body. This will provide information about how goaltenders apply forces to the pad while they are moving, but most importantly, it will quantify how ground reaction forces applied to the body are being modulated by the PPE. The first task in this proposal involves developing a protocol for quantifying the PPE-subject interface pressures. The second task involves applying this protocol to 15 local elite goaltenders. Goaltenders will perform a series of movements, in three different styles of goalie pad, on a 3.4m x 2.3m synthetic ice surface while simultaneously recording their kinematics and PPE-subject interface pressures. Ultimately, this will provide a database of information that identifies how the applied pressures to the goaltenders lower body are altered when wearing different styles of goal pad. The third and final task involves completing and verifying a comprehensive link segment mechanics (LSM) model. The completion of this multi-axis LSM model will enable analysis of individuals' joint mechanics when they are wearing PPE. Once completed the inverse dynamics LSM will be verified by comparing the joint moments calculated from the LSM model against estimates of hip joint moments derived from muscle activation levels (electromyography; EMG). The successful completion of this LSM model will provide Reebok-CCM with a research tool for quantifying the effects of various equipment styles and modifications on subject musculoskeletal stresses.