Biomechanics in Sports

Table of Contents
 Biomechanics in Sports
 Newton's Law of Motion
 Types of Levers and Their Applications in Sports
 Equilibrium
 Friction & Sports
 Projectile In Sports

Meaning: Biomechanics is the science concerned with the analysis of
the mechanics of human movement. It explains how and why the
human body moves.

It is the study of the function and motion of the mechanical aspects of

biological systems.

Biomechanics tells us how our muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments

work together to produce movement.

It gives us a detailed analysis of any sports movements, which helps to

minimize the risk of injury and improve sports performance.

Importance Of Biomechanics In
Sports
Improves sports performance: Biomechanics tell us the right
techniques for effective and efficient results by using minimum
muscular force and getting maximum results.

Improvement in technique: Biomechanics helps to improve new

techniques, which helps us to get more results

Helps to develop the best sports equipment: Biomechanics helps us to

make correct and scientifically proven equipment.
Improvement in training: Coaches can give the best training to athletes
on the basis of scientific knowledge. He can analyze the player’s
movement in a better way.

Prevents injuries: It helps us to know the forces that can lead to the
injuries during the game situation.

Knowledge of safety principles: Biomechanics gives the understanding

to analyze different safety movements

Helps in research work: It helps to impart scientific teaching and

learning processes.

Creates confidence in players: Players come to know the correct

techniques to execute the movement. Thus it improves the confidence
of the player.

Newton’s Law of Motion

Man is said to be the man of action. So, movements are involved
everywhere. For every moment there is motion. Therefore everything
that moves is governed by the ‘Laws of motion’.

These laws of motion were formulated by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687. He

explained and investigated that every motion is under the impact of
following laws of motion

First Law of motion

First law is also named as Law of Inertia. This law states that an object
at rest will remain at rest or an object in motion will remain at motion
at constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.

In another word, an object will remain in a stationary position or

remain in motion unless an external force is applied to move or stop.

Application in Sports

A football placed at a penalty point will remain at rest unless a player

kicks the ball to score a goal, Or that same football will continue to
move at a constant velocity unless a force acts on it to slow it down
(e.g. wind resistance) or change its direction (e.g. gravity).

Second Law of Motion

The Second Law of motion is also named the ‘Law of Acceleration’.

According to this law, the rate of change in the velocity of an object is

directly proportional to the force applied and inversely proportional to
the mass of the body.

The greater the force applied the faster the velocity and more
displacement. If less force is applied then the displacement and
acceleration are also less

If unequal forces are applied to objects of equal mass the greater force
will cause more acceleration. If equal forces are applied to objects with
unequal mass, the object with mass has less acceleration

Application in Sports

A Volleyball player pushes the ball slowly for a drop, whereas hits the
ball hard for a smash.

Thus drop is slow because there is less force applied, whereas smash is
very fast as there is a great force applied.

In the shot put event, a player who exerts more force and tosses the
shot put at the correct angle has greater displacement.
 Third Law of Motion

This law is also known as the ‘Law of Action and Reaction’

This law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite
reaction.

Application in Sports

In swimming, if a swimmer pushes the water backward, in return he is

pushed forward by the water.

When a person walks he presses the ground in the backward direction

and the ground pushes him in the forward direction with an equal
force.

Types of Levers and Their

Applications in Sports
 Types of Levers

First-class lever:

Fulcrum positioned between the effort and the load.

Examples in sports: See-saw in gymnastics, overhead barbell press in

weightlifting.

Second-class lever:

Load positioned between the effort and the fulcrum.

Examples in sports: Calf raises in fitness training, pushing off the

starting blocks in track and field.

Third-class lever:

Effort positioned between the fulcrum and the load.

Examples in sports: Bicep curls in weightlifting, rowing strokes in

rowing sports.

Applications in Sports
First-class levers:

 In gymnastics, the use of a see-saw as a training aid helps

athletes develop balance and coordination.
 Weightlifters use a first-class lever motion for overhead barbell
presses, targeting various muscle groups.
Second-class levers:

 Fitness training often includes calf raises to strengthen the calf

muscles and improve jumping abilities.
 Athletes in track and field utilize a second-class lever action when
pushing off the starting blocks for explosive starts.
Third-class levers:

 Weightlifters engage in bicep curls to build strength and muscular

endurance in the biceps.
 Rowing sports depend on a third-class lever motion during rowing
strokes, enhancing the pulling power.
Understanding the different types of levers and their applications in
sports can help athletes and coaches optimize their training techniques
and improve athletic performance.

Equilibrium
Equilibrium is defined as a state of balance or stable situation, where
opposite forces cancel each other out and where no changes are
occurring.

When a body or a system is in equilibrium there is no net tendency to

change. In mechanics, equilibrium has to do with the forces acting on a
body.

When no force is acting to make a body move in a line the body is in

translational equilibrium, when no force is acting to make the body
turn the body is in rotational equilibrium. However, a state of
equilibrium does not mean that no forces act on the body but only that
the forces are balanced.

Types of Equilibrium
1. Dynamic Equilibrium
2. Static Equilibrium
Dynamic Equilibrium: Dynamic equilibrium is the balance of the
body during movement

Static Equilibrium: It is the balance of the body during rest or in a

stationary position.

The fundamental human movement is 7 in numbers. These basic

movements that the human body can perform are pulled, push, squat,
lunge, hinge, rotation, and gait. All other movements are variations or
combinations of these.

Stability principles give sportsmen the rule about being in balance

while running. They offer guidance to trainers for improving a sports
person’s ability to achieve static balance and dynamic balance.

Guiding Principles To Determine Degree of Equilibrium

(stability)

1. Broader the base, greater the stability: For greater stability,

increase the area of the base and lower the center of gravity as much
as is consistent with the activity involved.
This is the reason why a golfer will take a wide stance before swinging
at the golf ball or volleyball players, while offering defense, and spread
their feet wide.

2. Lower the center of gravity, higher the stability: For an

accelerated start, we need to keep the center of gravity as low as
possible and as near as possible to the edge of the base nearest to the
direction of intended motion. This is the reason racers crouch at the
start of the race and the racing cars have very low floors.

3. When the body is free in the air, if the head and feet move
down, then the hips move up and vice versa: While performing a
high jump, this principle comes into play.

The players tend to lift up their head and thrust one foot as high as
possible. Once the head and one leg clear the bar, they are dropped
which raises the hips to clear the bar.

As the hips are lowered, the opposite leg is raised to clear the bar. Pole
vault, diving while competing in swimming and hurdle races are also
sports where this principle is of paramount importance.

4. Body weight is directly proportional to stability: The heavier

the sportspersons, the more stable they are. It is obvious that a lighter
person can be moved far more easily than a heavier person.

This is the reason why sports like wrestling, boxing, judo, etc., are
organized according to different weight groups.

Equilibrium (Stability) Principles

1. To maintain balance while being stationary, the athletes must

maintain their center of gravity over the base of support. Thus, to
begin a free weightlifting movement, the lifter needs to hold a standing
position and then go into a squat and stand again.

2. If the balance is lost, an athlete needs to enlarge the base of support

and make sure that the center of gravity is over it. Like, by keeping the
feet wider to prevent falling after being pushed helps recover balance.
3. While carrying any object, one needs to shift the bodyweight so that
balance is maintained. We do this by leaning in the opposite direction
when carrying heavy weights or equipment.

4. Ensure that the center of gravity is over the center of the base of
support. Like, while performing a handstand, the hips need to remain
towards the center of the base which is formed by the hands.

5. Stability improves when we lower the center of gravity. This is the

reason why during shot-put, the follow-through involves bending the
knees.

6. The greater the friction between the supporting surface and the
athlete’s body, the greater the ability to maintain balance. This is the
reason why sports persons wear specialized shoes that prevent
excessive sliding on a playing surface.

7. Shifting the center of gravity towards an approaching force

increases an athlete’s ability to maintain balance. This explains why a
football lineman shifts weight towards the opposing line prior to the
snap.

8. An opponent can be forced to lose balance if pushed or pulled in the

direction where the center of gravity is closest to the edge of the base
of support. Boxers use this principle to create a loss of balance by
shifting the weight on the heels.

9. For positions of readiness, if the distance is shorter then the center

of gravity must move to the base of support, the more rapidly the body
can be put in motion in that direction. for example, sprinters in the
“set” position shift their weight in the direction of the race.

Center Of Gravity
The Center of gravity is the point in a body or system around which its
mass or weight is evenly distributed or balanced and through which
the force of gravity acts.

The center of gravity is fixed, provided the size and shape of the body
do not change.
An athlete’s center of gravity is the exact middle of the body and can
rotate freely in any direction and where weight is balanced on all
opposite sides.

It exists at a point along the midline of the body at about 55% of the
athlete’s height. Core stability enables athletes to control their body
position, generate optimum power, and transfer force along the kinetic
chain.

The human body is made up of individual body parts with their own
weight. So, our total body weight is the sum of individual weights of
organs such as our arms, legs, etc.

The point, about which the distribution of these individual weights is

symmetrical, is the center of gravity of the body. Thus, if a body has
more mass distributed in its upper part, the center of gravity will be at
the top of the body.

This applies to humans, as the center of gravity of an average person

is located approximately at a height of one meter, thus being above
the waist.

There are two properties of the center of gravity that have a great
impact on sports. First of all, its location is dependent on the shape of
the body.

So if the same body is to take a different shape, the position of the

center of gravity will shift. An athlete that bends his/her legs will lower
his/her center of gravity position. amongst other things, will result in
greater stability, something especially important in sports such as
wrestling.

Projectile In Sports
Projectile: When an object is thrown into space either horizontally or at
an acute angle under the action of gravity is called a projectile. Or,
It refers to the motion of an object projected into the air at an angle.
The path followed by a projectile is known as a trajectory.

In sport, there are many examples of projectiles e.g. putting the shot,
throwing a hammer, discus, and javelin in athletics.

Factors affecting the projectile

trajectory
When an object is projected through space, three forces influence the
course of the flight

(i) Propelling Force:

The initial force produces certain effects depending upon its point and
direction of application. If the application is directly through the
projectile’s center of gravity, only linear motion results from the force.

As the object is moved further from the center of gravity, the rotator
motion of the object increases at the expense of linear motion. If the
force is below the object’s center of gravity, backspin is the result.

Forward spin results when the force is above the center of gravity.
When the force is off-center to the left, clockwise spin results, and
when it is off-center to right, counterclockwise spin occurs.

(ii) Force of Gravity:

As soon as contact is broken with a projected object, the force of

gravity begins to finish the upward velocity of the object.

Finally, gravity overcomes the projectile’s motion and the object

begins to descend. The factors that determine how soon gravity will
cause the object to descend are –

(a) Weight (mass) of the object

(b) Amount of force driving it upward

(c) The effect of air resistance on the object.

(iii) Effect of Air Resistance:

As the speed of an object increases, air resistance has a greater

retarding effect. The more surface area an object presents in the
direction of movement, the greater will be the effect of air resistance.

(iv) Angle of Release:

The angle between the initial trajectory and the horizontal determines
the shape of the parabola described in flight by the object or body. The
optimum angle for the maximum horizontal distance of flight is 45°.

The steepness or shallowness of the curve will depend on the angle of

projection, with angles greater than 45° producing steeper curves and
angles less than 45° producing shale-lower curves.

(v) Height of Release:

The next factor that affects the trajectory of a projectile in sport is the
height of the point of projection or release in relation to the landing
surface of the object or body.

There are examples from sports where the height of the projection is
both above and below the landing surface. For example, in the shot
put, the optimum angle is less than 45° because the point of release is
well above the land surface

Friction & Sports

Friction is a force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid
layers, and material elements sliding against each other. It generally
creates an obstruction to moving objects.

It is created whenever two surfaces move or try to move across each

other. It opposes the motion of one surface across another surface.
Friction depends on the texture of both surfaces and on the amount of
contact force pushing the two surfaces together.

Types of Friction

There are two types of friction

Static Friction: It occurs when a body is forced to move along a

surface but movement does not start. This friction is present between
two or more solid objects that are not moving relative to each other.

Without static friction, your feet would sleep out and it makes it
difficult to walk.

Dynamic/kinetic friction: It occurs when two objects are moving

relative to each other and work together. Further, it is of two types

Sliding Friction: It is a kind of friction that acts on the object when

it slides or rubs over the surface. It is weaker than static friction.
Sliding friction causes wear and tear

Rolling friction: It is a force that slows down the motion of a

rolling object. It acts on objects when they are rolling over a surface.

Advantages of friction

It helps to move: Frictional force helps to move the object, e.g.

running, or walking with the friction of feet and surface.

Stop the moving object: It helps to stop the moving object through
friction

Hold or grip object: With the help of friction, our fingers and palm
enable us to grasp and hold objects.

Keep the objects at their position: Friction can hold the object at
its position.

Disadvantages of friction
Makes movement difficult: Friction can make the movement
difficult. For example, excess friction can make a box difficult to slide
on the floor.

Waste of energy: Excess friction means extra energy, so extra

energy is wasted because of friction.