1. Biomechanics and Physics
Mr. Hosier
1/16/16

2. Biomechanics-An Overview

3. Mechanics
A branch of physics that is concerned with the description of motion and how forces create motion

4. Biomechanics
The study of the mechanics of a living body, especially the forces exerted by muscles and gravity on the skeletal structure.
The mechanics of a part or function of a living body, such as the heart or of locomotion.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

5. 2 Primary Applications Improve Human Performance
Prevent and Treat Injury

6. Motion is Mechanics
Forces act on an object to get it moving or change its motion. If I bend my elbow, what forces are potentially acting on the joint?

7. Projectile Motion
What forces are acting… on/in the athlete? on the ball? What directions are the basketball going in? What happens if… the ball is lighter? the distance to the basket is increased?

8. Biomechanics Basics Force-Time Principle
The force of a blow can be diminished by distributing the force over a greater time, distance, or area.
Segmental-Interaction Principle
Force generated by muscles can be increased by increasing initial tension before a contraction. This increase in force production is called elastic recoil, or the stretch-shortening cycle. For example, drawing the arm back to pitch a ball or throw a javelin places the muscles of the throwing arm on stretch, increasing the force of contraction upon the initiation of the throw.

9. Biomechanics in Action
If a ball is thrown to you, do you catch it with arms fully outstretched or try to bend them as you catch? Why?
If you were trying to jump as high as possible, would you stand straight and jump or bend down and then jump? Why?
In order to throw a softball the longest distance, how would you do it?
What is it called when participants in high speed sports(cycling, car racing) follow closely behind another competitor?
Why do cyclists use disc wheels?

10. Advancements by Biomechanics

11. What Physics Principles Should I Be Concerned With?
Ground Reaction Force
Gravitational Force
Tension
Normal Force
Center of Mass Acceleration
Impulse and Momentum

12. Ground Reaction Force
Def: The amount of force exerted by the ground by a body in contact with it.
Why do we care?
- Impact and Pressure
- Injury and Inflammation
- Maximizing output

13. What a Typical Vertical Leap Graph Looks Like: