Unit 8: Fundamentals of Kinesiology and Biomechanics in Sports
1. Definition and Importance of Kinesiology and Biomechanics in sports
2. Principles of Biomechanics
3. Kinetics and Kinematics in Sports
4. Types of Body Movements - Flexion, Extension, Abduction, Adduction, Rotation, Circumduction,
Supination & Pronation
5. Axis and Planes – Concept and its application in body movements
KINESIOLOGY:
Kinesiology is „the science of movement‟ or „the study of human movement.‟ It includes the study of
movement through anatomy and mechanics.
Kinesiology is derived from the Greek word kinesis, which means movement, and logos which means to study.
“kinesiology can be defined as studying the movement behaviour of all living organisms.”
Importance of Kinesiology in Sports
Analysing human motion: Help to research in sports.
Learning and improvement of motor skills: Discovering and recognizing the underlying principles
of movement:
Help to prevent injuries: Designing and teaching fundamental movements:
Ensuring economy of movement: Acquiring self-realization about own performance:
To develop new training method Providing benefit to physiotherapists and physical
medicine professionals:
Aiding clinical purposes like postural analysis,
corrective exercise, and rehabilitation:
BIOMECHANICS:
Bio + Mechanics = Bio - Living organism Mechanics - Branch of Physical science which deals with force acting
on a body in static condition or in moving condition.
“Biomechanics is the science concerned with the internal and external forces acting on a human body and the
effects produced by these forces”.
In Selection and Improvement of Technique To improve sports skill
To develop new training method Help to research in sports.
To prevent from sports Injuries Knowledge about physics principal to apply in sports.
For movement economy Help to categorized the students
To develop advanced sports equipment To speed in recovery process
Basis for analysing the efficient structure of competitive Practical organization of the process of the sport‟s
performance technical profession:
Essential for the effective organization of the For Diagnostic teaching & Coaching
development of motor abilities:
For self-evaluation of athletes: Evaluate and change the rules and regulations
Principles of Biomechanics in Sports:
1. Force–Motion: The Force-Motion Principle states that it takes unbalanced forces (and the subsequent torques
they induce) to create or modify our motion.
2. Force–Time : The Force-Time Principle states that modification of movement depends on the timing of
force application as much as the size of the forces used to create it.
3. Inertia: Inertia can be defined as the property of all objects to resist changes in their state of motion.
4. Range of Motion : Range of Motion is the overall motion used in a movement,
5. Balance: Balance is a person‟s ability to control their body position relative to some support base.
6. The Coordination Continuum: the muscle actions and body segment motions are timed in a human movement
is usually referred to as coordination.
7. Segmental Interaction: The principle of Segmental Interaction says that the forces acting in a system of linked
rigid bodies can be transferred through the links and joints.
8. Projection: maximum distance can be achieved by hitting a golf ball on a level plane this causes the golf ball to
be hit at exactly 45 degrees.
9. Spin: The principle of Spin or rotations applies largely to projectiles, and particularly sports balls.
Kinetics and Kinematics in Sports:
Sr. No. Attributes Kinetics Kinematic
1 Definition Kinetics is the study of motion Kinematics is not dependent upon the
considering the mass and external mass of the object.
forces as well.
2 Relation t attempts to determine the Kinematics is about simply describing
relationship between the motion of motion. Such as velocity displacement
bodies caused by inertial force and time, and acceleration.
the mass of a body
3 Study Study of the motion caused by To determine the "how" of motion
forces, gravity, friction, torque
4 Nature It attempts to get at the cause. It is descriptive and based on observation
5 Treated Treated in terms of energy Treated geometrically
transformations
6 Example A person sitting Inside the train. A moving train
A child running around in the house Parabolic locus traced by a football
Running Fan A stone hitting the ground
7 Uses Concept of gas laws, fluid dynamics, Classical mechanics in terms of
physical chemistry engineering
Movement: Movement or motion is the act of moving, change of place or posture, or transference, by any
means, from one situation to another.
Movement is the change in the position of an object.
Types of Movements
(Flexion, Extension, Abduction and Adduction, Rotation, Circumduction, Supination and Pronation)
Flexion- it is the bending of flexing a limb. Closing/
decreasing the angle at the moving joint.
Extension: Extension refers to a movement that increases the
angle between two body parts.
Abduction: - Moving a Limb away from the body‟s
centreline.
Adduction: - Moving a Limb towards the body‟s centreline
is called adduction.
Rotation: It is the movement around the long axis.
Circumduction: It combines flexion, extension, abduction
and adduction. Usually this movement occurs at ball and
socket joints like shoulder joint, hip joint, etc.
Pronation: It means turning the palm down.
Supination: It means turning the palm up.
Axis and Planes
The axis and planes of movement, we must know the following terminologies:
Anterior/ Ventral- towards the front of the body
Posterior/Dorsal- towards the back of the body
Superior/Cranial- towards the head of the body or upper part of the body.
Inferior/Caudal- towards the lower part of the body.
Medial- towards the midline of the body (inner side).
Lateral- away from the midline of the body (outer side).
Sagittal axis: - Frontal axis (transverse axis): - Vertical axis (longitudinal axis): -
It is also called the anteroposterior It is also known as the horizontal It is perpendicular to the transversal
axis. It passes horizontally from and mediolateral axis. It is plane. It passes vertically from
posterior to anterior. It is perpendicular to the sagittal plane. inferior to superior. Typically,
perpendicular to the frontal plane. It runs from side to side. Flexion rotation types of movement take
The movements that occur in this and extension are the movements place on this axis.
axis are abduction and adduction. taking place in this axis.
Plane
A single plane divides the entire body into two parts. There are three planes of motion in which our body moves.
Sagittal plane (Median plane): - Frontal plane (lateral or coronal Transverse plane (horizontal
It lies vertically and divides the plane): - plane): -
body into right and left parts. It also lies vertically and divides the It lies horizontally and divides the
Flexion and extension types of body into anterior/ Ventral- and body into superior and inferior parts.
movement occur in this plane. posterior/ Dorsal- parts. Abduction Rotation types of movement occur
Example: kicking a football, chest and adduction movements occur in in this plane. Example, hip rotation
pass in netball, walking, jumping, this plane. Example, jumping jack in a golf swing, twisting in a discus
and squatting. exercises, raising and lowering arms throw, pivoting in netball, and
and legs sideways, and cartwheel. spinning in skating.
Questions:
1. Define Kinesiology and Biomechanics.
2. Explain the importance of Biomechanics in the field of sports.
3. List down the principles of biomechanics and explain any 2 in detail.
4. List down the types of body movements and explain any 3 in detail.
5. Write a short note on Axis and Plane.