Grade-XI

Subject-Physical Education
Unit-VIII
Fundamental of Kinesiology and Biomechanics
Syllabus
 Definition and Importance of Kinesiology and Biomechanics in sports
 Principles of Biomechanics
 Types of Body Movements - Flexion, Extension, Abduction, Adduction, Rotation, Circumduction,
Supination & Pronation
 Axis and Planes – Concept and its application in body movements

Study material
Definition of Kinesiology

Kinesiology: Kinesiology is derived from the Greek term KINESIS meaning ‘MOTION’ and
LOGOS meaning ‘WORD OF KNOWLEDGE ‘ or TO STUDY.
The study of the science of human motion.
Kinesiology deals with biological mechanics, structure and movement of body.

Importance of Kinesiology
1. By following the principles of kinesiology, the coach can guide his follow contestants to
avoid sports injuries while performing.
2. Kinesiology helps the sports coach to get better results from their athletes and is usually helpful in the right
performance of the sports skill and technique.
3. It enables the physical educators to reach right modes of physical activities to their pupils.
4. Physical educators that can impact various activities on the basis of knowledge of kinesiology.
5. Kinesiology helps physical educators and physicians in learning and correcting physical deformities of a
person.
6. It enables the coach to provide effective scientific training of players.
7. Kinesiology plays an important role in the personality development of a sports person.
8. Kinesiology helps the sports coaches and trainers in the application of their relative methods of coaching
efficiently and precisely.

Definition of Biomechanics is the study of human motion with the application of mechanical
principles.
Importance of Biomechanics
1. Improves performance in sports: Principles of biomechanics tell us about right techniques, effective and
result oriented posture to get more efficient results by applying minimum muscular force which in turn
improves performance in sports.
2. Improvement in technique: With the help of biomechanical principles the physical education teacher corrects
the mistakes. This helps in improving the game and performance of the player.
3. Development of improved sports equipment: The principles of biomechanics are used to modify the sports
equipment. For example, tee shirts, studs, spikes, swimming costumes, hockey sticks, different size footballs
and low weight helmets for protection.
4. Improve in training techniques: A teacher can analyze the player’s movement or action with the help of the
biomechanical principles. It helps in improving the training techniques.
5. Prevents sports injuries: It helps to find out the factors or the forces that can lead to the injuries during the
game situation. It also helps in prevention of the sports injury.
6. Helps in understanding human body: It gives the knowledge of different systems of our body. For example,
nervous system, muscular system and skeletal system.
 7. Knowledge of safety principles: Biomechanics gives the understanding to analyze different movements that
can harm the player. The teachers remove those unnecessary and harmful movements.
8. Helps in research work: Biomechanics helps in teaching and learning process. It also helps the teacher to
acquire precision and accuracy of movement.
9. Creates confidence in player: The player knows that he is executing the movement scientifically with the
help of principal of biomechanics. Thus the confidence of the player will enhance.
10. Helps in maintaining healthy body: Principals of biomechanics gives deep knowledge about the effect of
physical forces and movements over the body as well as the movements which are safe and promotes health.
Thus biomechanics helps in maintaining healthy body.

Principles of Biomechanics
Biomechanics, being the science of movement of a living body, including how muscles, bones, tendons and
ligaments work together to produce movement, is comprised of five main components. These are:
1. Motion, which is the movement of the body or an object through space.
2. Force, which is a push or pull that causes a person or object to speed up, slow down, stop or change direction.
3. Momentum, which is a product of the velocity and weight of an object as it moves. There are two types of
momentum in sports—Linear momentum, where the momentum is in a straight line and Angular momentum,
which is the rotational momentum created by the rotations of the various body segments.
4. Lever, which is a rigid object, used with an axis to either multiply the mechanical force called effort, or resistance
force called load when applied to it. In the human body, the arms and legs act as levers. A lever system is made
up of three parts—an effort, a load and a fulcrum. In the human body, the effort is provided by the muscle, the
load is the weight of the body and the fulcrum is the joint at which the movement is taking place.
5. Balance, which refers to stability. The alignment of the body’s centre of gravity over the base of support
determines the balance of the human body and a good balance is important for many sporting and exercise
activities.
There are seven principles in biomechanics. These are:

Principle 1: Stability
The lower the centre of mass, the larger the base of support; larger the base of support, the closer the centre of
mass to the base of support; and the greater the mass to the base of support and the greater the mass, the more the
stability increases.
Principle 2: Maximum Effort
The production of maximum force requires the use of all possible joint movements that contribute to the action
desired.
Principle 3: Maximum Velocity
The production of maximum velocity requires the use of joints in sequence—largest first to the smallest last.
Principle 4: Impulse
The greater the applied impulse, the greater the increase in velocity.
Principle 5: Reaction
Movement usually occurs in the direction opposite to the applied force.
Principle 6: Angular Motion
Angular motion is produced by the application of force acting at some distance from an axis to create torque. This
principle is also known as the principle of the production of angular motion.
Principle 7: Angular Momentum
Angular momentum is constant when an athlete or object is free in the air. This principle is also known as the
principle of conservation of angular momentum and its key component is the fact that once an athlete is airborne,
they will travel with constant momentum.
Types of Body Movements - Flexion, Extension, Abduction, Adduction, Rotation, Circumduction,
Supination & Pronation
Flexion: Bending parts at a joint so that the angle between them decreases and part come closer together.
Or Flexion is a movement that decreases the angle between two body parts.
Extension: Straightening parts at a joint so that the angle between them increases and the parts move apart.
It is opposite movement of flexion.
Abduction: Moving body part away from the midline of body.
Adduction: Body part coming towards the midline of body.
Rotation: The bone here moves around an axis without changing its axis.
Thus, when we twist our head from side to side or just move our shoulders
in a shrugging movement, we are performing rotation.

Circumduction: Circumduction happens when a bone

moves at its head in its joint cavity. Hip and shoulder
joints exhibit this the most. This movement combines
most of the angular movements in a circular fashion.

Supination: This movement involves the wrist moving where the palm is facing upwards.

Pronation: This movement is the opposite of supination because the palm face downwards.

Axis and Planes – Concept and its application in body movements

Planes: In biomechanics, every motion of the body is described starting from the anatomical
position. The anatomical position is when a person is standing upright looking straight ahead,
arms at the side with palms facing forward, the feet slightly apart at the heels and toes pointing
forward.
There are three Anatomical or Cardinal Planes in the anatomical position, as described below:

Sagittal Plane or Median

This plane divides the body into two sides (left and right); it cuts the body into left and
right halves. Forward and backward movements of the human body generally occur at
this plane. The plane may be at the centre of the body and split it into two halves (mid-
sagittal) or away from the midline and split it into unequal parts (para-sagittal). Sagittal
plane motion would include forward and backward motions, like sit-ups, back
extensions or biceps curls. The sagittal plane cuts through the centre of the body, so the
motion is front to back or back to front, including straight forward running.

Sports that use this plane of movement are kicking a football, chest pass in netball,
walking, jumping, squatting.
Frontal or Coronal Plane
This plane is the second plane of the human body. Also known as the coronal or
longitudinal plane, this area comprises an imaginary line cutting vertically through
both shoulders. It bisects the body into front and back portions. Movements that occur
in the frontal plane are lateral or side-to-side movements.
These include:
Abduction: Moving (or moving a limb) laterally and away from the midline of the
body.
Adduction: Moving (or moving a limb) towards the midline of the body.
Frontal plane movement patterns are fundamental to sports such as football, soccer,
hockey and basketball where the player is shuffling, laterally moving across the field,
rink or court.

Transverse or Horizontal Plane

This plane is the third plane of the human body. It divides the body into upper and lower portions.
Movements of rotation such as twisting movements occur in the transverse plane.

Transverse plane movements include:

Rotation: Moving the torso or a limb around its vertical axis
Pronation: Rotating the forearm or foot to a palm-side or foot-side
down position.
Supination: Rotating the forearm or foot to a palm-side or foot-side
up position.
Examples of this movement in sports include 360 twists on trampoline,
an ice skater spinning or discus thrower rotating.
Diagonal patterns of movement occur when components of all three
cardinal planes of motion are combined at the same time.
Axis: An axis is an imaginary line at right angles to the plane, about which the body rotates or spins.
Planes:

There are three axes of rotation:

Sagital Axis
Also known as the anterio-posterior axis, this is an imaginary line that passes horizontally from
posterior to anterior and is formed by the intersection of the sagittal and transverse planes. Amongst
the examples of movement could be shoulder abduction and adduction. Likewise, side bending of
the neck and its abduction and adduction are other examples.
For example, when a person performs a cartwheel, they are rotating about the sagittal axis.

Frontal Axis
It passes horizontally from left to right, through the centre of the body, and is formed by the
intersection of the frontal and transverse planes. For example, when a person performs a somersault, they
rotate around this axis. Abduction and adduction movements occur around this axis, for example,
jumping jack exercises, raising and lowering arms and legs sideways. Shoulder elevation, neck
flexion and extension are some other examples. Flexion and extension of the elbow joint is a very
good example of movement of the forearm on the frontal axis.

Vertical Axis:
It passes vertically from inferior to superior and is formed by the intersection of the sagittal and frontal
planes. For example, when a skater performs a spin, they are rotating around the vertical axis. Shoulder external
rotations, internal rotation, rotation of the head are also good examples of movement in the vertical axis.