Sports biomechanics

Sports biomechanics is the quantitative based study and analysis of athletes and sports activities in general. It can simply be described as the physics of sports. Within this specialized field of biomechanics, the laws of mechanics are applied in order to gain a greater understanding of athletic performance through mathematical modeling, computer simulation and measurement. Biomechanics, as a broader discipline, is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of the methods of mechanics (the branch of physics involving analysis of the actions of forces).

Within mechanics there are two sub-fields of study: statics, which is the study of systems that are in a state of constant motion either at rest (with no motion) or moving with a constant velocity; and dynamics, which is the study of systems in motion in which acceleration is present, which may involve kinematics (the study of the motion of bodies with respect to time, displacement, velocity, and speed of movement either in a straight line or in a rotary direction) and kinetics (the study of the forces associated with motion, including forces causing motion and forces resulting from motion).[1] Sports biomechanists help people obtain optimal muscle recruitment and performance. A biomechanist also uses their knowledge to apply proper load barring techniques to preserve the body.[2]

Human biomechanics helps analyze the body's movements, exploring how internal forces -- such as muscles, ligaments, and joints -- help create external movement.[3] By incorporating the principles of the broad field of biomechanics with the specific discipline of human biomechanics, sports biomechanics is created. The integration of this broad field and special discipline, forms a more specialized field of biomechanics, meeting the specific demands of athletes, known as sports biomechanics.[3] By analyzing sports biomechanics, changes can be implemented to improve and enhance sports performance, rehabilitation, and injury prevention

  1. ^ Boone, Tommy. "Basic Concepts in Sports Biomechanics". Archived from the original on 28 October 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  2. ^ "BASES - About Biomechanics". www.bases.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  3. ^ a b Knudson, Duane (2021). Fundamentals of Biomechanics. Vol. 6. Cham: Springer International Publishing. p. 384. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-51838-7. ISBN 978-3-030-51837-0. PMC 3787293. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)