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Biomechanical Analysis in Physical Activity and Sports
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Biomechanical Analysis in Physical Activity and Sports

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Kinesiology and Biomechanics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 1932

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Pedro Miguel Forte

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Sports, Douro Higher Institute of Educational Sciences, 4560-708 Penafiel, Portugal
2. Research Center in Sports, Health and Human Development, CIDESD, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Interests: biomechanics; energy cost; exercise; health promotion; sports
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue of the International Journal of Functional Materials and Kinesiology delves into the intricate relationship between biomechanics and athletic performance. This issue explores the application of advanced biomechanical analysis techniques in understanding and enhancing physical activity and sports performance. Articles within this Special Issue cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from the biomechanics of specific sports movements to the development of novel materials to improve athletic gear and equipment.

Researchers and practitioners in the field of biomechanics will contribute their expertise to shed light on how biomechanical principles can be utilized to optimize training protocols, prevent injuries and maximize athletic potential. Furthermore, this Special Issue showcases interdisciplinary approaches, highlighting collaborations between biomechanists, engineers, physiologists and sports scientists to tackle complex challenges in the realm of physical activity and sports.

Overall, this Special Issue serves as a comprehensive resource for academics, coaches, athletes and sports enthusiasts interested in the intersection of biomechanics and sports performance, providing valuable insights and practical applications to enhance athletic endeavors.

Dr. Pedro Miguel Forte
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at mdpi.longhoe.net by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomechanics
  • sports performance
  • physical activity
  • athletic training
  • movement analysis
  • functional materials
  • kinesiology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 605 KiB  
Article
Post-Arthroplasty Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients with Hip Osteoarthritis or Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: An Observational Study
by Sophia Stasi, Georgios Papagiannis, Athanasios Triantafyllou, Panayiotis Papagelopoulos and Panagiotis Koulouvaris
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2024, 9(3), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9030110 - 25 Jun 2024
Viewed by 719
Abstract
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a preferred treatment for primary osteoarthritis (OA) or secondary degenerative arthropathy due to developmental hip dysplasia (DDH). Gait analysis is considered a gold standard for evaluating post-arthroplasty walking patterns. This study compared post-THA spatiotemporal gait parameters (SGPs) between [...] Read more.
Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a preferred treatment for primary osteoarthritis (OA) or secondary degenerative arthropathy due to developmental hip dysplasia (DDH). Gait analysis is considered a gold standard for evaluating post-arthroplasty walking patterns. This study compared post-THA spatiotemporal gait parameters (SGPs) between OA and DDH patients and explored correlations with demographic and clinical variables. Thirty patients (15 per group) were recorded during gait and their SGPs were analyzed. Functionality was evaluated with the Oxford Hip Score (OHS). The OA patients were significantly older than DDH patients (p < 0.005). Significant and moderate to strong were the correlations between SGPs, age, and four items of the OHS concerning hip pain and activities of daily life (0.31 < Pearson’s r < 0.51 all p < 0.05). Following THA, both groups exhibited similar levels of the examined gait parameters. Post-arthroplasty SGPs and OHS correlations indicate limitations in certain activities. Given the absence of pre-operative data and the correlation between age and SGPs and OHS, ANCOVA testing revealed that age adjusts OHS and SGP values, while pre-operative diagnosis has no main effect. These findings indicate that hip OA or DDH do not affect postoperative SGPs and patients’ functionality. Future studies should examine both kinematic and kinetic data to better evaluate the post-THA gait patterns of OA and DDH patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanical Analysis in Physical Activity and Sports)
14 pages, 2717 KiB  
Article
Upper-Limb Muscle Fatigability in Para-Athletes Quantified as the Rate of Force Development in Rapid Contractions of Submaximal Amplitude
by Gennaro Boccia, Paolo Riccardo Brustio, Luca Beratto, Ilaria Peluso, Roberto Ferrara, Diego Munzi, Elisabetta Toti, Anna Raguzzini, Tommaso Sciarra and Alberto Rainoldi
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2024, 9(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9020108 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 327
Abstract
This study aimed to compare neuromuscular fatigability of the elbow flexors and extensors between athletes with amputation (AMP) and athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) for maximum voluntary force (MVF) and rate of force development (RFD). We recruited 20 para-athletes among those participating [...] Read more.
This study aimed to compare neuromuscular fatigability of the elbow flexors and extensors between athletes with amputation (AMP) and athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) for maximum voluntary force (MVF) and rate of force development (RFD). We recruited 20 para-athletes among those participating at two training camps (2022) for Italian Paralympic veterans. Ten athletes with SCI (two with tetraplegia and eight with paraplegia) were compared to 10 athletes with amputation (above the knee, N = 3; below the knee, N = 6; forearm, N = 1). We quantified MVF, RFD at 50, 100, and 150 ms, and maximal RFD (RFDpeak) of elbow flexors and extensors before and after an incremental arm cranking to voluntary fatigue. We also measured the RFD scaling factor (RFD-SF), which is the linear relationship between peak force and peak RFD quantified in a series of ballistic contractions of submaximal amplitude. SCI showed lower levels of MVF and RFD in both muscle groups (all p values ≤ 0.045). Despite this, the decrease in MVF (Cohen’s d = 0.425, p < 0.001) and RFDpeak (d = 0.424, p = 0.003) after the incremental test did not show any difference between pathological conditions. Overall, RFD at 50 ms showed the greatest decrease (d = 0.741, p < 0.001), RFD at 100 ms showed a small decrease (d = 0.382, p = 0.020), and RFD at 150 ms did not decrease (p = 0.272). The RFD-SF decreased more in SCI than AMP (p < 0.0001). Muscle fatigability impacted not only maximal force expressions but also the quickness of ballistic contractions of submaximal amplitude, particularly in SCI. This may affect various sports and daily living activities of wheelchair users. Early RFD (i.e., ≤50 ms) was notably affected by muscle fatigability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanical Analysis in Physical Activity and Sports)
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11 pages, 1148 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Bioelectric and Biomechanical EMG Normalization Techniques in Healthy Older and Young Adults during Walking Gait
by Drew Commandeur, Marc Klimstra, Ryan Brodie and Sandra Hundza
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2024, 9(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9020090 - 22 May 2024
Viewed by 520
Abstract
This study compares biomechanical and bioelectric electromyography (EMG) normalization techniques across disparate age cohorts during walking to assess the impact of normalization methods on the functional interpretation of EMG data. The biomechanical method involved scaling EMG to a target absolute torque (EMGTS [...] Read more.
This study compares biomechanical and bioelectric electromyography (EMG) normalization techniques across disparate age cohorts during walking to assess the impact of normalization methods on the functional interpretation of EMG data. The biomechanical method involved scaling EMG to a target absolute torque (EMGTS) from a joint-specific task and the chosen bioelectric methods were peak and mean normalization taken from the EMG signal during gait, referred to as dynamic mean and dynamic peak normalization (EMGMean and EMGPeak). The effects of normalization on EMG amplitude, activation pattern, and inter-subject variability were compared between disparate cohorts, including OLD (76.6 yrs N = 12) and YOUNG (26.6 yrs N = 12), in five lower-limb muscles. EMGPeak normalization resulted in differences between YOUNG and OLD cohorts in Biceps Femoris (BF) and Medial Gastrocnemius (MG) that were not observed with EMGMean or EMGTS normalization. EMGPeak and EMGMean normalization also demonstrated interactions between age and the phase of gait in BF that were not seen with EMGTS. Correlations showed that activation patterns across the gait cycle were similar between all methods for both age groups and the coefficient of variation comparisons found that EMGTS produced the greatest inter-subject variability. We have shown that the normalization technique can influence the interpretation of findings when comparing disparate populations, highlighting the need to carefully interpret functional differences in EMG between disparate cohorts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanical Analysis in Physical Activity and Sports)
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