Everyone has been to a mechanic before. Likely you took your car to him or her either for regular maintenance or because something went wrong. Because of their understanding of those fickle, ubiquitous machines we all use, they were probably able to diagnose the problem relatively quickly and get you back on the road in a few days, at most.

Far fewer people have ever been to a biomechanic or even know what one is! In this lesson, we will explore what exactly the field of biomechanics is and look at its applications and uses in the 21st century.

Biomechanics is the study of how the systems and structures of biological organisms, from the smallest plants to the largest animals, react to various forces and external stimuli. In humans, biomechanics often refers to the study of how the skeletal and musculature systems work under different conditions. In biomechanics more generally, scientists often try to apply physics and other mathematically based forms of analysis to discover the limits and capabilities of biological systems.

In a way, biomechanics has been around since the inquiring ancient Greek and Roman minds began dissecting animals and vivisecting humans to discover the inner systems of our bodies. Many of the great philosophers and scientists of our past tried their hand at some form of biomechanics, from Aristotle, who wrote On the Motion of Animals in the 4th century BC, to Leonardo da Vinci, who studied human muscle and joint function in 15th century Italy. In the 19th century, scores of Europeans were incredibly fascinated, for some reason, with the gait of horses and extensively studied the biomechanics of a horse’s galloping motion.

Today, rather than a field that scientists and philosophers dabble in, biomechanics is its own branch of human and biological science, with entire departments in hospitals and universities devoted to the subject’s study.

Biomechanics and Body Movement

Biomechanics is the science of movement of a living body, including how muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments work together to produce movement. Biomechanics is part of the larger field of kinesiology, specifically focusing on the mechanics of the movement.¹ It is both a basic and applied science, encompassing research and practical use of its findings.

Biomechanics includes not only the structure of bones and muscles and the movement they can produce, but also the mechanics of blood circulation, renal function, and other body functions.² The American Society of Biomechanics says that biomechanics represents the broad interplay between mechanics and biological systems. Biomechanics studies not only the human body but also animals and even extends to plants and the mechanical workings of cells.³

For example, the biomechanics of the squat includes consideration of the position and/or movement of the feet, hips, knees, back and shoulders and arms.

Elements

·         Statics: Studying systems that are in equilibrium, either at rest or moving at a constant velocity.

·         Dynamics: Studying systems that are in motion with acceleration and deceleration.

·         Kinematics: Describing the effect of forces on a system, motion patterns including linear and angular changes in velocity over time. Position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration are studied.

·         Kinetics: Studying what causes motion, the forces and moments at work.

Sports Biomechanics

Sports biomechanics studies human motion during exercise and sports. Physics and the laws of mechanics are applied to athletic performance.

·         Biomechanics can be applied to individuals, analyzing their movements and coaching them for more effective movement during exercise and sports movement. An individual’s running gait or golf swing can be filmed and recommendations made for them to change and improve it.

·         Biomechanics can be used in the design of sports equipment, clothing, shoes, and the fields and facilities where sports are played. A shoe can be designed for the best performance for a middle-distance runner or a racket for the best grip.

·         Biomechanics can study sports techniques and training systems and develop ways to make them more efficient. This can include basic research into how hand position affects propulsion in swimming. It can propose and analyze new training techniques based on the mechanical demands of the sport, aimed at resulting in better performance.

·         Biomechanics can be applied to studying the causes, treatment, and prevention of sports injuries. The research analyzes the forces at work that can lead to an ankle sprain and how shoe design or the playing surface might reduce the risk of injury.

Careers

Specialties within biomechanics include:

·         Biological Science: Studies of human, animal, cell and plant biomechanics.

·         Exercise and Sports Science: Applying biomechanics to human performance in athletics.

·         Health Sciences: Researching causes, treatment, and prevention of injury and using biomechanics to design rehabilitation programs and equipment.

·         Ergonomics and Human Factors: Applying biomechanics to human-machine interfaces, workplace, and functional designs and processes.

·         Engineering and Applied Science

A masters of science or doctorate in kinesiology can lead to a career in a biomechanics field, such as research and design by sports companies, athletic research and testing, workplace testing and design of interfaces between humans and equipment.

A student of biomechanics will do coursework in physics, biology, anatomy, physiology, mathematics, and statistics. Laboratory equipment used includes force plates, electromyography, high-speed video motion analysis systems, digitizing equipment, accelerometers, pressure sensors, potentiometers, computer analysis programs, and modeling programs.