MODULE III

BIOMECHANICS OF HUMAN MOVEMENT

- Principles of biomechanics (force, leverage, motion)

- Application to exercise and sports performance
- Activities:
- Demonstration: Analyzing a simple movement (e.g., squat or jump)
- Group exercise: Calculating basic biomechanical forces
- Learning Outcomes:
- Apply biomechanical principles to analyze human movement.
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The study of biomechanics bridges mechanical engineering principles with biological
systems, enabling us to understand how physical forces affect living organisms. The
following 10 sub-topics breaks down key biomechanical concepts into manageable lessons.
Each sub-topics presents a fundamental concept accompanied by a practical example and a
quick exercise to reinforce learning. Sub-topics from basic mechanical principles to
specialized applications, providing a comprehensive introduction to the field of
biomechanics.

BASIC MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES

1). Forces and Newton's Laws

Key Concept: Newton's three laws of motion form the foundation of biomechanics:

(1) objects at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force;

(2) force equals mass times acceleration (F=ma); and

(3) for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Practical Example:When jumping, your legs exert force against the ground (action), and the
ground pushes back with equal force (reaction), propelling your body upward. The greater the
force you generate against the ground, the higher your acceleration and resulting jump height.

Quick Exercise: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Perform a small jump. Now, try
to jump higher by bending your knees more deeply before jumping. Notice how increasing
the force production (by using more muscle contraction through a greater range of motion)
directly affects your jump height, demonstrating F=ma in action.

2). Kinematics: Describing Motion

Key Concept: Kinematics describes motion without considering its causes, focusing on
displacement, velocity, and acceleration in linear and angular terms. It provides the language
to quantify how bodies move through space.

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Practical Example: During walking, the ankle joint undergoes approximately 20° of
dorsiflexion (toes pointing upward) during the stance phase and 15° of plantarflexion (toes
pointing downward) during push-off, creating a specific angular displacement pattern critical
for efficient gait.

Quick Exercise: Using your smartphone's slow-motion camera feature, record yourself or a
partner walking from the side. Review the footage and observe the ankle's movement through
the gait cycle. Try to identify when maximum dorsiflexion and plantarflexion occur relative
to the overall walking cycle.

BIOMECHANICAL SYSTEMS

1). Levers and Mechanical Advantage

Key Concept: The musculoskeletal system operates through a system of levers (bones) with
fulcrums (joints) and applied forces (muscles). The arrangement of these components
determines mechanical advantage—the ratio between output and input forces.

Practical Example: The forearm functions as a third-class lever during bicep curls, with the
elbow as the fulcrum, the biceps muscle providing force between the fulcrum and the load,
and the weight held in the hand as the resistance. This arrangement sacrifices force for range
and speed of motion.

Quick Exercise: Hold a light weight in your hand. Perform a bicep curl slowly, paying
attention to how difficult the exercise feels at different angles. The exercise typically feels
hardest when your forearm is parallel to the floor because the mechanical advantage is lowest
at this point. Document how the perceived effort changes throughout the range of motion.

2). Center of Mass and Balance

Key Concept: The center of mass (COM) is the point where all of the body's mass appears to
be concentrated. Balance is maintained when the COM is supported by the base of support
(BOS). Stability increases with a larger BOS and lower COM.

Practical Example: A gymnast performing a handstand narrows their base of support (just
two hands) and raises their center of mass, creating an inherently unstable position requiring
constant muscular adjustments to maintain balance.

Quick Exercise: Stand with feet together (narrow BOS) and time how long you can balance
on one leg. Then try the same balance test with arms extended outward (modifying COM
distribution). Finally, try standing on one leg with eyes closed. Record your times for each
condition and note how adjusting your base of support and sensory input affects your balance
ability.

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 MOVEMENT ANALYSIS

1). Gait Analysis

Key Concept: Gait analysis examines the systematic patterns of walking or running,
breaking the cycle into phases (stance and swing) and events to quantify normal movement
patterns and identify abnormalities.

Practical Example: In pathological walking, such as after a stroke, asymmetries between

affected and unaffected limbs emerge. These might include reduced stance time on the
affected side, decreased step length, or altered joint angles throughout the gait cycle[1].

Quick Exercise: Walk normally across a room, then try walking with one leg kept stiff (not
bending the knee). Notice how this constraint forces compensatory movements in your hip,
opposite leg, and upper body to maintain forward progression. These adaptations mirror some
aspects of pathological gait patterns seen clinically.

2). Muscle Mechanics

Key Concept: Muscles generate force through the sliding filament theory, where actin and
myosin filaments interact. Muscle force production depends on length-tension and
force-velocity relationships, affecting performance across different movement speeds and
joint angles.

Practical Example: During jumping, calf muscles work most efficiently at optimal lengths.
A preliminary countermovement (slight squat) before jumping upward places muscles at
advantageous lengths for generating maximum force during the propulsion phase.

Quick Exercise: Perform two types of vertical jumps: first from a static squat position
(holding the bottom position for 3 seconds), then using a countermovement (quickly dipping
down before jumping). Measure or compare the height achieved in both jumps. The
countermovement typically produces better results due to optimal muscle length-tension
relationships and stretch-shortening cycle utilization.

SPECIALIZED APPLICATIONS

1). Joint Biomechanics

Key Concept: Joints act as the connection points between bones, with their structure
determining the types of motion possible (degrees of freedom). Joint stability comes from
passive structures (ligaments, capsule) and active elements (muscles).

Practical Example: The knee joint primarily allows flexion and extension but has limited
rotation. During running, the knee undergoes cyclical loading, with forces up to 8 times body

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weight transmitted through its structures, requiring precise biomechanical alignment for
injury prevention[6].

Quick Exercise: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Perform a partial squat, paying
attention to your knee alignment relative to your feet. Use a mirror or have a partner check if
your knees track directly over your toes. Proper alignment distributes forces optimally across
joint structures, while misalignment (knees collapsing inward) increases injury risk.

2). Sports Biomechanics

Key Concept: Sports biomechanics applies mechanical principles to optimize athletic

performance and prevent injuries through analysis of technique, equipment design, and
movement efficiency.

Practical Example: In baseball pitching, the kinetic chain transfers energy from the ground
through the legs, trunk, shoulder, and arm. Improper sequencing or technique flaws can both
reduce performance (lower pitch velocity) and increase injury risk at the shoulder or
elbow[16].

Quick Exercise: Throw a small ball against a wall using just your arm (minimal body
rotation). Then throw using proper mechanical sequencing—stride with the opposite leg,
rotate your hips, then shoulders, followed by arm action. Compare the ease and power of each
throw, demonstrating how proper kinetic chain utilization enhances performance.

ADVANCED CONCEPTS IN BIOMECHANICS

1). Computational Biomechanics

Key Concept: Computational biomechanics uses mathematical models and computer

simulations to analyze complex biological systems, allowing researchers to study scenarios
that would be difficult to measure experimentally.

Practical Example: Finite element analysis (FEA) can model how forces distribute through a
bone or joint during different activities, helping predict fracture risk or optimal implant
design without invasive testing[8].

Quick Exercise: Sketch a simple bone (femur) on paper. Draw arrows indicating the
direction and relative magnitude of forces acting on it during standing and during jumping.
Then, highlight areas where you would expect stress concentration (typically at changes in
geometry or direction). This conceptual exercise demonstrates the first step in computational
modeling—identifying boundary conditions and critical regions.

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3). Rehabilitation Biomechanics

Key Concept: Rehabilitation biomechanics applies mechanical principles to restore function

after injury, focusing on movement retraining, compensatory strategies, and progressive
loading to facilitate recovery.

Practical Example: After ACL reconstruction, rehabilitation protocols use biomechanical

principles to gradually increase loading on the healing graft while protecting it from harmful
forces. Exercises progress from controlled weight-bearing to dynamic movements based on
tissue healing timelines and mechanical behavior[6].

Quick Exercise: Stand on one leg and perform a small knee bend (mini-squat). Note any
compensatory movements like excessive trunk lean or hip drop. Then try again with fingertip
support on a wall, focusing on proper alignment. This demonstrates how small modifications
can significantly alter joint biomechanics during rehabilitation exercises.

BIOMECHANICAL APPLICATIONS

1). Ergonomics and Biomechanics

Key Concept: Ergonomic design applies biomechanical principles to create work

environments that minimize injury risk and maximize efficiency by optimizing body
positioning, force requirements, and movement patterns.

Practical Example: Computer workstation design uses biomechanics to determine optimal

keyboard height, monitor position, and chair support to minimize neck and back loading
during prolonged sitting.

Quick Exercise: Evaluate your current sitting position. Check if your feet are flat on the
floor, knees at approximately 90°, lower back supported, shoulders relaxed, and monitor at
eye level. Make adjustments to improve your ergonomic setup based on biomechanical
principles, and note any immediate changes in comfort.

2). Biomechanical Instrumentation

Key Concept: Biomechanical analysis uses specialized equipment like motion capture
systems, force plates, and electromyography (EMG) to quantify movement parameters that
are not observable by the naked eye.

Practical Example: In clinical gait analysis, force plates embedded in walkways measure
ground reaction forces while cameras track reflective markers on the body, allowing precise
calculation of joint angles, moments, and powers throughout the walking cycle.

Quick Exercise: Using your smartphone, record a video of yourself or a partner performing a
simple movement (like a squat) from the front and side views. Review the footage
frame-by-frame, attempting to identify specific joint angles at key positions. This simple

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video analysis demonstrates the concept behind sophisticated motion capture techniques used
in biomechanics research.

Conclusion

These twelve biomechanics learning sub-topics provide a foundation for understanding how
mechanical principles govern human movement and physical interaction with the
environment. From basic concepts of forces and motion to specialized applications in sports
and rehabilitation, biomechanics offers valuable insights for anyone interested in human
performance, injury prevention, or movement science.

For continued learning, each concept can be explored in greater depth through problem-based
learning approaches, which have been shown to be particularly effective in biomechanics
education. The integration of computational modeling software like FEBio can further
enhance understanding of complex biomechanical systems. As you progress, consider how
these foundational concepts build upon each other to explain the intricate mechanical
behavior of biological systems in both normal function and pathological conditions.