INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS BIOMECHANICS

BIO – MECHANICS

LIFE Oldest to the Physical

Science (Physics)

Definition: -
 Biomechanics is the science concerned with internal and external forces
acting on the human body and the effect produced by these forces.

Internal External

Muscular forces Environmental forces

 Air
 Friction
 Water
 Gravity
 Counter force

 Area of study wherein the knowledge and methods of mechanics are

applied to the structure and function of living human system.

Importance / Contribution of Biomechanics in Sports

1. Evaluation of existing technique for learning and training.
2. Find out faults in the execution of the technique.

3. Find out causes of faults in the execution of the technique.

4. Development of new technique, which may be better than the existing
technique.

5. Evaluation of training exercise and equipment.

6. Development of training exercise and equipment.

7. Quantification of motor abilities.

8. Development of biomechanical principles as general orientation.

9. Perfection and refinement of various investigational procedures used in

biomechanics and to make them applicable under field condition.
 Forms of Motion
• Motion: - When a body changes its position from one place to another
with respect to a fixed point i.e., reference point.

Types of Motion: -
 Linear Motion or Translatory motion.
 Rotatory or angular motion
 General motion

1. Linear Motion or Translatory Motion: -

 It takes place in such a way that all parts of the body move same
distance, in the same direction and at the same time.
 Body moves in a straight line

 Types of Linear Motion: -

o Rectilinear Motion: - When a body moves essentially in a
straight line e.g. a ball dropped from the hand towards the
ground.
 A freely falling body
 Punching in boxing
o Curvilinear Motion: - When a ball is thrown same distance,
gravity acts on it to follow a curved path known as parabola.
E.g. curved path of shot put.
LINEAR MOTION OF A BODY CAN BE: -
a) Uniform Motion: - Equal distance travelled in equal interval of time.

b) Non – Uniform Motion: - Equal distance travelled in unequal interval of

time or unequal distance travelled in equal interval of time.

2. ANGULAR MOTION: - When a body moves along a circular path about

some line in space, so that all parts of the body travels equal angles in the
same distance in the same time.

AXIS OF
ROTATION

E.g.: A gymnast swinging on a horizontal bar.

3) GENERAL MOTION: - Combination of linear and angular motion

 E.g.
o We translate our body in a
straight line as a direct result
of rotatory motion around our
joints.
o A Cyclist translate his upper
body as a result of rotatory
action around his legs.
 Linear Motion

Bio - Mechanics

Kinematics Kinetics
It describes motion of the What causes a body to
body: - move? -
 Distance  Force
 Displacement  Inertia
 Speed  Mass
 Velocity  Weight
 Acceleration  Impulse
 Acceleration due  Pressure
to gravity  Momentum

1. Distance: -
a. Length of the path covered by the body.
b. Unit – meter (m), Centimeter (cm), Kilometer (km)

DISTANCE = 3
+ 5 + 3 + 5 = 16 km
2. Displacement: -
a. Shortest distance between body’s initial and final position.
b. Unit – meter (m), centimeter (cm), kilometer (km)
BASIC DIFFERENCE: -
• Magnitude and direction
• Distance – only magnitude
• Displacement – Magnitude + Direction

• Distance = 100m
• Displacement = 100m towards south

Ques: - Under what condition, the magnitude of distance and displacement

will be same?
Ans: - When the motion is in a straight line.

Distance = 100 m
Displacement = 100 m towards south
 Distance?
Displacement?
Distance = Circumference of the circle = 2 π r
Displacement = 0

Distance = 2 π r /2
= πr
Displacement = AB
= r + r = 2r (Diameter)

Distance: - In the example below, what is the distance that the skier travels
from point A to point B?

d = B to D + D to C
d = 40 m + 100 m
d = 140 m
Does the direction change the answer?
Distance vs Displacement: - let’s find the displacement of the skier from point A
to point B

d = A to C + C to D + D to B
d = (+40 m) + (+100 m) + (+40 m)
d = +180 m
The positive (+) gives the skier direction

Distance vs Displacement: - let’s find the displacement of the skier from point B
to point C
d = B to D + D to C
d = (-40 m) + (-100 m)
d = (-140 m)
The negative (-) gives the skier direction

Distance vs Displacement
An athlete runs around a 400 m track three times, then he stops.
 What is the distance
traveled?
o 1200 m
 What is the
displacement?
o 0m

3. SPEED: -
a. Average speed of a body is obtained by dividing distance covered by
the time taken.
 d
s=
t

b. Unit – meter/second (m/s)

- Centimeter/second (cm/s)
- Kilometer/hour (km/h) (kmph)

4. VELOCITY: -
a. Average velocity of a body is obtained by dividing displacement by
the time.
b. Average Velocity = Displacement / time
d
V=
t
c. Unit – m/s, cm/s, km/h

SPEED VS VELOCITY: -
Speed is simply how fast you are travelling

Yohan Blake is
travelling at a speed
of 10 m/s East
 Usian Bolt ran 100 m in
9.58 seconds, what
was his average speed?
10.43 m/s

SWIMMING POOL

distance displacement
Speed= Velocity=
time time
50 50
¿
10 = 10
= 5 m/s = 5 m/s

If swimmer swims 2 laps of 50m taking same time for each lap i.e., 20s
distance displacement
Speed= Velocity=
time time
50 50 0
= +
10 10 = 20
100 =0
= 20

= 5m/s

5. ACCELERATION (a): -
a. Rate of change of velocity
 b. Unit – m/s2 , cm/s2 , km/h2

6. ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY (g): -

a. The downward acceleration which a body experience while in air is
due to the influence of earth an all the bodies near to its surface.
 b. it is a constant value at any given place.

SCALARS AND VECTORS: -

 A Scalar quantity has only magnitude.
 A Vector quantity has both magnitude and direction

Scalar Quantities e.g. 1) Distance 2) Speed

Vector Quantities e.g. 1) Displacement 2) Velocity 3) Acceleration
1. Inertia: -
 Characteristic of a body to remain at
rest or in uniform motion.
 It depends upon mass.

2. Mass: -
 Quantity of matter contained in the body.
 Unit – kg

3. Weight: - Mass – 70 Kg
 It is the force with which a body is attracted
Weight = m x g
towards the earth. = 70 x 9.81
 W=mxg
= 686.7 N
 Unit – kg.m/s2 = Newton (N)
On Moon G = 9.81/6
weight = 70 x 1.63
= 114.45 N
4. Force: -
 It is the effect of one body on the other
Or
 Push or pull effect of the one body on other.
 Unit – Newton (N). 1 N = 1kg.m/s2
 Effects
i. Motion
ii. Starts
iii. Stop
iv. Accelerate
v. Decelerate
vi. Change of direction
vii. Shape change

5. Momentum (p): -
 Product of mass and velocity
p=mxv
 Unit – Kg.m/s
 an athlete can increase their momentum by either increasing their
mass or velocity.

6. Impulse: -
  Product of force and time
Force x Time
Impulse = f x t
 Unit – Newton. Second
Ns
 Impulse = change of momentum
Impulse depends upon ability to change the momentum.
 With that being said, when a force is applied to an object, the
resulting motion of the body is dependent not only on the magnitude
of the force but also on the duration of the force application.

7. Pressure: -
 Force per unit area is called pressure
force
pressure=
area
Unit – N/m2 Pascal (pa)
 Concept of pressure is very important for injury prevention.

 Sky jumpers after falling immediately starts rolling action, otherwise

one or both legs will be broken.
 Protective pads in hockey, cricket
 Protective gloves and helmets spread the force over a larger area.

ANGULAR MOTION: -
Angular Kinematic
1. Angular Distance
2. Angular Displacement
3. Angular Speed
4. Angular Velocity
5. Angular Acceleration
6. Relationship between linear and angular motion

1. Angular Distance (Ø) (phi): -

 When a rotating body moves from
one position to other, the angular
distance covered by the body is the
angle between its initial and final
position.
 Unit – Degree
- Radian
 Angular distance if a body moves
from
i. A to B 90°
ii. A to C 180°
iii. A to D 270°

2. Angular Displacement (𝞱) (Theta): -

iv. A to A 360°
  When a rotating body moves from one position to other, the angular
displacement covered by the body is the smaller of the two angles
between its initial and final position.
 Unit – Degree, Radian (180° = 1 π radian)

3. Angular Speed (σ) (Sigma): -

 It is obtained by dividing angular distance by the time taken.
Angular distance
Angular speed =
timetaken

ϕ
σ=
t
 unit – degree/second, radian/second
4. Angular Velocity (ω) (Omega): -
 It is obtained by dividing angular displacement by time taken.
Angular displacement
Angular velocity=
Time taken
θ
ω=
t
 Unit – degree/second, radian/second
- Revolution per minute (RPM)

5. Angular Acceleration (α) (Alpha): -

 Rate of change of angular velocity.
change ∈angular velocity
angular acceleration=
Time taken
ω 2−ω 1
∝=
t
 Unit – degree/second2 , °/s2
- Radian/second2 , Rad/s2
Relationship between Linear and Angular Motion
Suppose a practical ‘P’ moves in a circle
- After 1 revolution P
1. Time taken = t
2. Linear distance = 2 πr r
3. Angular distance = 360° = 2 π radians

linear Disp .
Linear Velocity (v) = time Anguar Disp .
Angular Velocity (ω) = time
2 πr
= t 2π
= t

V =rω

• It is clear from the relationship, v = rω that - Linear velocity varies with the
length of the radius when angular velocity is constant.
• Thus, a discus thrower must have his throwing arm fully straight in order
to throw discuss with greater linear speed.
 • On the other hand, with constant linear velocity, a diver increases his
angular velocity by reducing radius.

ANGULAR KINETIC: -
1. Eccentric force
2. Couple
3. Torque
4. Moment of inertia
5. Angular momentum

1. Eccentric Force: -
 A force whose line of action does not pass through the center of the
body.
 It causes simultaneously rotation as well as translatory motion
2. COUPLE: - Two equal and opposite parallel forces that causes rotation.

3. TORQUE: -
 It is the product of force and the perpendicular distance from the
axis of rotation.
 Torque=Force× perpendicular Distance
  Unit – Newton.meter or Nm
 Torque produces turning effect

4. MOMENT OF INERTIA (I): - Moment of Inertia of a body rotating about an

axis of rotation is the sum of the production of masses of the particles and
the square of the perpendicular distance from the axis of rotation.

 More the moment of inertia, more is the difficulty to altering the

motion.

5. ANGULAR MOMENTUM (H): -

 It is the product of moment of Inertia and angular velocity.

Angular Momentum=Moment of Inertia× Angular Velocity

H=I ×ω

• Unit – Kg.m2. or Degree/second2

• Moment of Inertia (I) and Angular Velocity ( ω) are inversely proportional to
each other.
• E.g. –
• A diver decreases his Moment of Inertia (I) by adapting tuck position,
so that his Angular velocity (ω) increases such that the angular
momentum (H) remains conserved.