74
N. Bairagi and S. K. Bhuyan
of a wheelchair-bound tennis player is around 114 beats/min [11]. Additionally,
wheelchair players need an abdominal binder to minimise venous blood pooling.
Pressure garments such as stockings have been recommended by researchers which
also reduces the risk of venous blood pooling [7]. The participants of this study also
used an abdominal strap, strap over thighs and ankle straps to secure their foot on
the wheelchair, so that it does not touch the ground while playing. Therefore, the
sportswear design needs to take this into consideration to prevent added discomfort and facilitate both intermittent and multidirectional movement with the assistive
devices.
3.3 Functional Needs Based on Muscle Strain
of the Wheelchair-Bound Players
Structured interviews with the stakeholders (Doctor, Sports Physiotherapist and
Coach at Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association) helped to gain insights into
the physiological aspects of the players. While playing in a wheelchair, the hip is
stable, but the shoulder is flexible and in movement. According to Fabrocini (1995),
the performance of a player depends on the trunk rotation that is quite significant
for these players who even need to balance themselves to control the shots. The
trunk muscles help in the kinematic chain to move the body [12]. Ample amount
of strain/stress occurs in the upper body and lower back [13]. It has been observed
that the strain on the upper torso is more in case of wheelchair-bound players as
it endures more pressure to keep the balance and accomplish the act of playing.
Therefore, while designing adaptive clothing the sportswear upper need to provide
the required compression to support the strain on the torso and also facilitate the
thermophysiological regulation.
3.4 Functional Needs Based on Studies of Infrared
Thermography of Skin Temperature
of the Wheelchair-Bound Players
Infrared thermography is a non-invasive and easy-to-perform method of imaging of
the body temperature in athletes and sportsman. It helps us to understand the skin
temperature rise and thermal adaptations of the sportsman. This, in turn, helps in
designing of the sportswear as the temperature rise in specific zones of the body can
be visualised during the activity in a real set up and the sportswear can be designed
accordingly for better thermoregulation, which can, in turn, improve performance,
of the wheelchair-bound players by reducing fatigue. Images have been recorded at
6 min from the start of the match, then at 12 min and then at 18 min of the female
wheelchair-bound player. The observations have been presented in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
N. Bairagi and S. K. Bhuyan
of a wheelchair-bound tennis player is around 114 beats/min [11]. Additionally,
wheelchair players need an abdominal binder to minimise venous blood pooling.
Pressure garments such as stockings have been recommended by researchers which
also reduces the risk of venous blood pooling [7]. The participants of this study also
used an abdominal strap, strap over thighs and ankle straps to secure their foot on
the wheelchair, so that it does not touch the ground while playing. Therefore, the
sportswear design needs to take this into consideration to prevent added discomfort and facilitate both intermittent and multidirectional movement with the assistive
devices.
3.3 Functional Needs Based on Muscle Strain
of the Wheelchair-Bound Players
Structured interviews with the stakeholders (Doctor, Sports Physiotherapist and
Coach at Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association) helped to gain insights into
the physiological aspects of the players. While playing in a wheelchair, the hip is
stable, but the shoulder is flexible and in movement. According to Fabrocini (1995),
the performance of a player depends on the trunk rotation that is quite significant
for these players who even need to balance themselves to control the shots. The
trunk muscles help in the kinematic chain to move the body [12]. Ample amount
of strain/stress occurs in the upper body and lower back [13]. It has been observed
that the strain on the upper torso is more in case of wheelchair-bound players as
it endures more pressure to keep the balance and accomplish the act of playing.
Therefore, while designing adaptive clothing the sportswear upper need to provide
the required compression to support the strain on the torso and also facilitate the
thermophysiological regulation.
3.4 Functional Needs Based on Studies of Infrared
Thermography of Skin Temperature
of the Wheelchair-Bound Players
Infrared thermography is a non-invasive and easy-to-perform method of imaging of
the body temperature in athletes and sportsman. It helps us to understand the skin
temperature rise and thermal adaptations of the sportsman. This, in turn, helps in
designing of the sportswear as the temperature rise in specific zones of the body can
be visualised during the activity in a real set up and the sportswear can be designed
accordingly for better thermoregulation, which can, in turn, improve performance,
of the wheelchair-bound players by reducing fatigue. Images have been recorded at
6 min from the start of the match, then at 12 min and then at 18 min of the female
wheelchair-bound player. The observations have been presented in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.