Name of mobile application

My Jump

Category of the mobile application

Health and Fitness

Platform

iOS 7.0 or later; Optimised for iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Cost

$A7.49

Current version is V.2.1 which has iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus support, and iOS8 support. No trial version is available.

About the app

Vertical jump is a widely used measure of functional performance in athletic and non-athletic populations.1 My Jump is a low-cost, easy-to-use application which integrates with the video camera to assess vertical jump performance (figure 1). The in-app settings allow slow-motion playback for easy identification of the video frame in which jump take-off and landing occurs. The app determines the number of frames, and by using the device-dependent frame rate (120–240 fps), calculates flight time and jump height. Input of body mass then allows power to be determined. An unlimited number of users (participants) can be created and an unlimited number of trials stored, allowing longitudinal comparisons. Data can also be exported to spreadsheet applications, shared via email or social media or uploaded to cloud storage. A recent study demonstrated the My Jump app installed on the iPhone 5s to have excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.997, p<0.001) and excellent agreement with countermovement jump height measured using a force platform (ICC=0.997, p<0.001).2 However, jump height values assessed using the My Jump app were significantly lower than those derived from the force platform. A strong between-observer agreement has also been demonstrated,2 implying that the app can be used accurately across a number of testers without the need for specialised training. In addition to its use in the field by coaches and trainers, the My Jump is a valuable teaching tool for students of biomechanics, motor control and kinesiology as it allows convenient capture of vertical jump performance without the need for expensive, cumbersome or fragile equipment.

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Figure 1

Screenshot of My Jump user interface.

Use in clinical practice

In the clinical context, jumping tests are valuable in assessing progress in rehabilitation3 and changes associated with pathology.4 My Jump allows rapid, valid and reliable assessment of vertical jump performance in the rehabilitation, strength and conditioning or research setting. It could be equally used by physical therapists, coaches5 or researchers in a clinic or field setting, or by athletes for personal monitoring. Clinicians could quantitatively monitor progress in rehabilitation cases, or assess performance improvement following an intervention, and provide instantaneous feedback without complex and expensive equipment. The use of a simple metal mounting bracket to secure the iPhone, and a Bluetooth remote control (figure 2) allows one-person control of the app. In practice, this means athletes are able to self-assess vertical jump performance and immediately share the outcomes with clinicians or coaches anywhere in the world via email or cloud storage.

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Figure 2

Support bracket and Bluetooth remote control device. iPhone case secured to bracket by Velcro.

Pros

• Demonstrated reliability and validity compared with force plate measurement

• Ability to export data as .csv file

• Unlimited users (participants) and trials

• Integration with social media to share data

• Multiple language support

Cons

• No Bluetooth support

• The need for a mounting bracket and remote control for one-person use

• iOS only, not available on Android or Windows phones

• Systematic bias compared with force plate measurements