Human Movement from a biomechanical perspective 2 Flashcards
Sport anthropometry
Intersection between anatomy and biomechanics
Sport Biomechanics
-Scientific study of human movement and mechanics
-Involves analyzing the physical movements and forces involved in sports
-Used to optimize technique, reduce the risk of injury, improve training, and improve athletic performance
Morphological optimization
- Physical demands of a sport lead to the selection of body types (structure and composition) best suited to
that sport
Types of morphological optimization (4)
Open upper-end optimization
Relative optimization
Absolute optimization
Open lower-end optimization
Open upper end-optimization
-Over time the athletes become larger and larger (height, mass, segment lengths, etc.) relative to non-athletes
◦ “Open” because there does not seem to be any upper limit
◦ Decreasing proportion of population can play the sport at high levels compared to previous generations
Relative optimization
◦ Over time the athletes increase in size or proportion, but remain a certain amount larger than non-athletes (stays the same)
◦ E.g. Since non-athletes are generally increasing in size, athletes are increasing at a similar rate
◦ Same proportion of population can play the sport at
high levels compared to previous generations
Absolute optimization
◦ Over time the athletes are staying the same size or
proportion
◦ Means that as the non-athlete population changes with
respect to the characteristic, athletes do not change
(there is a “sweet spot” for the value an athlete should
have)
◦ This either increases or decreases the proportion of
the population who can play the sport at a high level,
depending on whether the averages between the
groups are coming closer or drifting apart
Open lower-end optimization
◦ Over time the athletes become smaller (and often
younger)
◦ Athletes see an increasing leftward shift on the curve,
and become more unusual relative to the general
population
◦ “Open” because there does not seem to be any upper limit
◦ Decreasing proportion of population can play the sport at high levels compared to previous generations
Common sport anthropometry measures
(i.e. morphological attributes)
-Stature
- Body mass
- Sum of skin folds (absolute body fat)
-Ratio of sitting height to stature (trunk length)
-Upper limb length- stature ratio (relative arm length)
- Brachial index (ratio of forearm - upper arm length)
Advantage of being taller in sport
◦ Higher reach and absolute jump height
◦ Better field of view
◦ Often accompanied by longer limbs (advantage in some sports)- improved leverage for throwing and swinging
◦ Often accompanied by higher inertia- harder to move them
Advantages of being shorter in sport
◦ Lower inertia
◦ Higher acceleration:
◦ Improved Maneuverability: allows quick, agile movements, fast changes of direction, allowing them to perform complex movements and
evade opponents
◦ Improved Power-to-Weight Ratio: less body mass to move but the same relative muscle mass
◦ Lower center of gravity- increases stability
◦ Reduced moments of inertia- facilitate increased angular velocity and reduced energy costs.
Advantages of being heavier
◦ Increased momentum- useful in collisions
◦ Increased inertia- useful to resist force
◦ Increased stability due to weight
◦ Increased shock absorption due to extra tissue
◦ Increased absolute muscle endurance due to higher strength
◦ Normally have more muscle mass
Advantages of being lighter
◦ Decreased inertia- increased acceleration and speed
◦ Improved maneuverability to due having less mass to move and control: agility, dexterity, etc
◦ Increased aerobic endurance (less weight to carry)
◦ Lower energy demand
Higher levels of fat mass negative effects
◦ Decreased acceleration due to increased mass that doesn’t produce force
◦ Can result in decreased velocities
◦ Decreased work capacity (acts as a deadweight)
◦ Decrease in the body surface area-to-body mass ratio (BSA/mass), (important for efficient heat dissipation)
◦ Lower heat tolerance primarily due to the differences in the BSA/mass ratio (bad for endurance events)
Benefits of high fat mass
◦ Often accompanied by higher fat-free mass as well
◦ Provides insulation against cold water
◦ Cushioning effect to heavy falls and body collisions (protects vital organs0
◦ Increased inertia (tougher to move)
◦ Reduced hydrodynamic drag while in water (especially useful in endurance events- an exception to the detriments for endurance exercise)
