Literature review: Kinematics of the BMX SX gate start

The aim of this literature review was to identify the depth and scope of peer reviewed literature on rider kinematics of the BMX SX gate start action. A literature search was conducted using databases specifically identified following a pilot search. Key search terms and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select the articles of relevance which were then critically analysed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational and Cross-Sectional Studies. Two studies were retained for review. While these studies were found outside peer reviewed literature, they were the only studies identified by the search that pertained to the rider kinematics of the BMX gate start action. These studies were limited by number of participants and methodological rigour and scored poorly on the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational and Cross-Sectional Studies. None of the articles correlated kinematic measures to gate start performance. Five further articles were retained for contextual background information. These articles highlighted the tactical importance of the gate start, and investigated power generation in BMX cycling. Research in other cycling modalities reported discrepancies between field and laboratory results, highlighting the importance of ecologically valid research methodology. This literature review shows that there is very limited research in the area of BMX biomechanics, particularly rider kinematics of the BMX SX gate start.