Tasks for Week 1 Today Course overview – review syllabus Assignment for Monday, January 27 Read Chapter 1 of Hall - Intro to biomechanics Review this powerpoint presentation on courses website Take Chapter 1 practice exam on Textbook website Solve baseball/softball problem presented at the end of this presentation Think about the discussion problem presented at the end of this presentation

Objectives Define biomechanics, statics, dynamics, kinematics and kinetics and explain the ways in which they are related. Describe the scope of scientific inquiry addressed by biomechanists. Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative approaches for analyzing human movement. Explain how to formulate questions for qualitative analysis of human movement.

Terms Biomechanics Mechanics Statics Dynamics Kinematics Kinetics Anthropometric Factors

Studied Problems Locomotion patterns Energy cost with specific movements Transitional changes NASA, microgravity and musculoskeletal system Osteoporosis Mobility Impairment

Problems Continued… Clinical Research Occupational Research Sport Performance Enhancement Mechanical Analysis of Specific Movements Safety and Injury Reduction

Why Study Biomechanics? To address problems related to human health and performance. Useful for Phys Ed Teachers Physical Therapists Physicians Coaches Personal Trainers Exercise Instructors

Problem-Solving Approach Analysis of human movement can be either Quantitative or Six Meters, Three Seconds, Fifty Turns, Two Players, Ten Dollars, etc. Qualitative Good, Poor, Long, Heavy, Flexed, Rotated, spiffy, etc.

General Question Examples Is the movement being performed with adequate (or optimal) force? Is the movement being performed through an appropriate range of motion? Is the sequencing of body movements appropriate (or optimal) for execution of the skill?

Specific Question Examples Is there excessive pronation taking place during the stance phase of gait? Is release of the ball taking place at the instant of full elbow extension? Does selective strengthening of the vastus medialis obliquus alleviate mistracking of the patella for this person?

Formal Problems: 3 components 1) a set of given information 2) a particular goal, answer, or desired finding 3) a set of operations or processes that can be used to arrive at the answer from the given information

Solving Formal Quantitative Problems 1) Read the problem carefully. 2) List the given information. 3) List the desired (unknown) information for which you are to solve. 4) Draw a diagram of the problem situation showing the known and unknown information. 5) Write down formulas that may be of use. 6) Identify the formulae to use.

Solving Formal Quantitative Problems 7) If necessary, reread the problem statement to determine whether any additional needed information can be inferred 8) Carefully substitute the given information into the formula. 9) Solve the equation to identify the unknown variable (the desired information).

Solving Formal Quantitative Problems 10) Check that the answer is both reasonable and complete 11) Clearly box the answer. *Note: Be sure to provide the correct unit of measurement with the answer.

Summary Biomechanical analysis involves a structured approach to facilitate the identification, analysis, and solution of problems or questions related to human movement. The structured approach involves involving the selection and use of appropriate physical and anatomical principles.

Problems for Monday, January 27 Does the softball or baseball hitter have more time to react to a pitch? Assume that the baseball pitcher throws to home plate (60.5 ft, or 18.44 m from pitcher’s rubber) at a velocity of 90 mph (40 m/s) and the softball pitcher throws (46 ft, or 14.02 m from pitcher’s rubber) at a velocity of 60 mph (27 m/s). A man fell from the railing of a walkway on a second-story apartment building. He was found lying unconscious on his back with his center of mass located 5 feet horizontally from a second story walkway and railing. The top of the railing was 21.6 ft above the ground. His blood alcohol content was found to be .30 (inebriated) and he has no memory of how he fell. In order to appraise liability for the accident, we need to determine if the victim walked into the railing or if he was sitting on the railing and fell off. Can this be done from the information given? How?