Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Javier Navarro, in May. 2016
Biomechanics is the discipline that studies the movements of the human body, that is, the physiological and mechanical aspects involved in the movement, as the term itself indicates (literally the word biomechanics could be defined as the machine of beings Likewise, biomechanical principles are applicable to a wide range of sciences and disciplines: zoology, physiotherapy, sport, ergonomics, etc.
Biomechanics Division
There are two types of biomechanics: static and dynamics. The first focuses on the Balance of bodies, which can be found at rest or in motion. The second is responsible for studying the movement of bodies under the action of the forces involved in the movement. Biomechanics of a dynamic nature is divided into two subsections:
1) the kinematics or the study of the movements in which some type of acceleration or displacement Y
2) kinetics or the study of the forces that trigger movements. As can be seen, biomechanics is based on concepts typical of physics, such as force, acceleration, movement or rest.
Biomechanics and sport in general
There is a close relationship between sport and biomechanics. The link between the two areas is evident, since it is about establishing the technique of any sport in terms of mechanical physics and all this in order to achieve optimal performance of the athletes. Thus, the description of sports technique is carried out from the kinematic study of the different parts of the body and, on the other hand, the dynamic study allows knowing how the values have been obtained kinematics. With this type of information, coaches can know if the effort of the athletes is correct or if some type of technical improvement of the movements is possible.
Biomechanics of running
If we think about the human body, we do a wide variety of activities that involve movement, such as jumping, running or moving around. To understand these movements it is necessary to understand the mechanical system of our body.
Biomechanics studies, among other things, the way we run. In other words, what muscles do we use in running and what movements are performed by each part of the body involved in the action of running.
Each running cycle can be divided into three phases: the stance phase, the push phase, and the flight phase. In each of these phases, different muscles, joints and bones are activated. A technically adequate race will allow the runner to obtain better results and, conversely, poor biomechanics will be associated with worse marks and possible injuries.
Photos: iStock - Todor Tsvetkov / ForeverLee
Topics in Biomechanics