Physical Education and Health Guides: Exercise Science

Task background

Biomechanics is an area of sport science concerned with the analysis of mechanics of human movement. In other words, it is the science of explaining how and why the human body moves in the way that it does. Through analysis of biomechanical efficiency and effectiveness, sport scientists can explore sporting performance and improvement.

National sports governing bodies are aware that they need to keep abreast of developments in biomechanical analysis and technology so that their athletes are not placed at a competitive disadvantage. You have been employed to provide biomechanical advice in a sport/event of your choice. This task requires you to identify technical deficiencies in your athlete’s skill ability and explain the technical deficiencies by applying biomechanical principals that impact upon their performance.

Task requirements:

Part 1: Review of Performance

• Watch ‘The Biomechanics of Usain Bolt’  

https://nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.jsp?med_id=72867&from=

• Choose an activity or sporting/fitness related movement.

• Video your athlete doing this activity.

• Review the video and analyse their form/technique looking at key indicators such as movement, fluidity, weight transfer, angle of motion, force application, speed/velocity, friction, balance, stability etc.

• Select one area that needs most improving for analysis and establish the biomechanical problem that exists. Suggest methods of training that could improve this issue.

Part 2: Gaining Biomechanical Knowledge

• Identify the major biomechanical principles which have the greatest influence on techniques in this sport/event. Explain in detail how these techniques influence athletic performance in your chosen sport/event.

• Discuss how biomechanical knowledge may have enhanced techniques to prevent injuries over the years in your sport/event.

• Conduct research into advancements in equipment design which have enabled athletes to perform increasingly higher standards in your chosen sport. Include details on how the current equipment is designed, constructed and used. Explain how the new advances have influenced performance in relation to biomechanical principles. Comment on whether you believe the advancements in equipment design are fair and equitable for all competitors.