27 research outputs found
Mathematical description of in-vivo muscle function
Mathematical relationships have long been used to describe many aspects of muscle
function such as the relationship between muscle force and muscle length, muscle force
and velocity of contraction or the degree of muscle activation during a contraction.
During this work various mathematical expressions have been employed in order to
gain an insight into different aspects of muscle activity.
The first part of the work examined whether performing a strength protocol on a
dynamometer can lead to an increase in eccentric strength output as well as in the
neuromuscular activation of the quadriceps group of muscles that appears inhibited
during slow concentric and fast eccentric contractions. Neuromuscular activation was
modelled via a three-parameter sigmoid function that was also tested for robustness
to perturbations in the maximum activation values.
During the second part of the study the "functional" hamstrings to quadriceps ratio
H:Qfun was expressed as a function of two variables i.e., angular velocity and joint
angle. Initially nine-parameter torque-angular velocity-angle profiles were obtained
for the knee extensors and flexors from a group of participants. A theoretical 17-
parameter H:Qfun function was then derived for each dataset. Subsequently, a simpler,
6-parameter function was derived, RE = aexp(bωn + cθm)-dω1/2θ2 that best reproduced
the original 17-parameter fit.
Finally, a six-segment subject specific torque-driven model of the Snatch lift was developed
in order to investigate the optimal mechanics of the lift. The model simulated
the lift from its initiation until the end of the second pull when the feet of the athlete
momentarily leave the platform. The six-segment model comprised of foot, shank,
thigh, torso (head + trunk), arm and forearm segments with torque generators at the
ankle, knee, hip and shoulder joints respectively. The torque profiles were obtained
using an isokinetic dynamometer
Ontology-based personalized performance evaluation and dietary recommendation for weightlifting.
Studies in weightlifting have been characterized by unclear results and information paucity, mainly due to the lack of information sharing between athletes, coaches, biomechanists, physiologists and nutritionists. Becoming successful in weightlifting performance requires a unique physiological and biomechanics profile based on a distinctive combination of muscular strength, muscular power, flexibility, and lifting technique. An effective training which is carefully designed and monitored, is needed for accomplishment of consistent high performance. While it takes years of dedicated training, diet is also critical as optimal nutrition is essential for peak performance. Nutritional misinformation can do as much harm to ambitious athletes as good nutrition can help. In spite of several studies on nutrition guidelines for weightlifting training and competition as well as on design and implementation of weightlifting training programs, to the best of authors' knowledge, there is no attempt to semantically model the whole "training-diet-competition" cycle by integrating training, biomechanics, and nutrition domains.This study aims to conceive and design an ontology-enriched knowledge model to guide and support the implementation of "Recommender system of workout and nutrition forweightlifters". In doing so, it will propose: (i) understanding the weightlifting training system, from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, following a modular ontology modeling, (ii) understanding the weightlifting diet following a modular ontology modeling, (iii) semantically integrating weightlifting and nutrition ontologies to mainly promote nutrition and weightlifting snatch exercises interoperability, (iv) extending modular ontology scope by mining rules while analyzing open data from the literature, and (v) devising reasoning capability toward an automated weightlifting "training-diet-competition" cycle supported by previously mined rulesTo support the above claims, two main artefacts were generated such as: (i) a weightliftingnutritional knowledge questionnaire to assess Thai weightlifting coaches' and athletes'knowledge regarding the weightlifting "training-diet-competition" cycle and (ii) a dual ontologyoriented weightlifting-nutrition knowledge model extended with mined rules and designed following a standard ontology development methodology.Studies in weightlifting have been characterized by unclear results and information paucity, mainly due to the lack of information sharing between athletes, coaches, biomechanists, physiologists and nutritionists. Becoming successful in weightlifting performance requires a unique physiological and biomechanics profile based on a distinctive combination of muscular strength, muscular power, flexibility, and lifting technique. An effective training which is carefully designed and monitored, is needed for accomplishment of consistent high performance. While it takes years of dedicated training, diet is also critical as optimal nutrition is essential for peak performance. Nutritional misinformation can do as much harm to ambitious athletes as good nutrition can help. In spite of several studies on nutrition guidelines for weightlifting training and competition as well as on design and implementation of weightlifting training programs, to the best of authors' knowledge, there is no attempt to semantically model the whole "training-diet-competition" cycle by integrating training, biomechanics, and nutrition domains.This study aims to conceive and design an ontology-enriched knowledge model to guide and support the implementation of "Recommender system of workout and nutrition forweightlifters". In doing so, it will propose: (i) understanding the weightlifting training system, from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, following a modular ontology modeling, (ii) understanding the weightlifting diet following a modular ontology modeling, (iii) semantically integrating weightlifting and nutrition ontologies to mainly promote nutrition and weightlifting snatch exercises interoperability, (iv) extending modular ontology scope by mining rules while analyzing open data from the literature, and (v) devising reasoning capability toward an automated weightlifting "training-diet-competition" cycle supported by previously mined rulesTo support the above claims, two main artefacts were generated such as: (i) a weightliftingnutritional knowledge questionnaire to assess Thai weightlifting coaches' and athletes'knowledge regarding the weightlifting "training-diet-competition" cycle and (ii) a dual ontologyoriented weightlifting-nutrition knowledge model extended with mined rules and designed following a standard ontology development methodology
Engineering Dynamics and Life Sciences
From Preface:
This is the fourteenth time when the conference “Dynamical Systems: Theory
and Applications” gathers a numerous group of outstanding scientists and engineers, who
deal with widely understood problems of theoretical and applied dynamics.
Organization of the conference would not have been possible without a great effort of
the staff of the Department of Automation, Biomechanics and Mechatronics. The patronage
over the conference has been taken by the Committee of Mechanics of the Polish Academy
of Sciences and Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland.
It is a great pleasure that our invitation has been accepted by recording in the history
of our conference number of people, including good colleagues and friends as well as a large
group of researchers and scientists, who decided to participate in the conference for the
first time. With proud and satisfaction we welcomed over 180 persons from 31 countries all
over the world. They decided to share the results of their research and many years
experiences in a discipline of dynamical systems by submitting many very interesting
papers.
This year, the DSTA Conference Proceedings were split into three volumes entitled
“Dynamical Systems” with respective subtitles: Vibration, Control and Stability of Dynamical
Systems; Mathematical and Numerical Aspects of Dynamical System Analysis and
Engineering Dynamics and Life Sciences. Additionally, there will be also published two
volumes of Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics entitled “Dynamical Systems
in Theoretical Perspective” and “Dynamical Systems in Applications”
14th Conference on Dynamical Systems Theory and Applications DSTA 2017 ABSTRACTS
From Preface:
This is the fourteen time when the conference “Dynamical Systems – Theory and
Applications” gathers a numerous group of outstanding scientists and engineers, who deal with
widely understood problems of theoretical and applied dynamics.
Organization of the conference would not have been possible without a great effort of the
staff of the Department of Automation, Biomechanics and Mechatronics. The patronage over
the conference has been taken by the Committee of Mechanics of the Polish Academy of
Sciences and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
It is a great pleasure that our invitation has been accepted by so many people, including good
colleagues and friends as well as a large group of researchers and scientists, who decided to
participate in the conference for the first time. With proud and satisfaction we welcome nearly
250 persons from 38 countries all over the world. They decided to share the results of their
research and many years experiences in the discipline of dynamical systems by submitting many
very interesting papers.
This booklet contains a collection of 375 abstracts, which have gained the acceptance of
referees and have been qualified for publication in the conference proceedings [...]
Injury and Skeletal Biomechanics
This book covers many aspects of Injury and Skeletal Biomechanics. As the title represents, the aspects of force, motion, kinetics, kinematics, deformation, stress and strain are examined in a range of topics such as human muscles and skeleton, gait, injury and risk assessment under given situations. Topics range from image processing to articular cartilage biomechanical behavior, gait behavior under different scenarios, and training, to musculoskeletal and injury biomechanics modeling and risk assessment to motion preservation. This book, together with "Human Musculoskeletal Biomechanics", is available for free download to students and instructors who may find it suitable to develop new graduate level courses and undergraduate teaching in biomechanics
Recommended from our members
Muscle activation patterns in shoulder impingement patients
Introduction: Shoulder impingement is one of the most common presentations of shoulder joint problems 1. It appears to be caused by a reduction in the sub-acromial space as the humerus abducts between 60o -120o – the 'painful arc'. Structures between the humeral head and the acromion are thus pinched causing pain and further pathology 2. Shoulder muscle activity can influence this joint space but it is unclear whether this is a cause or effect in impingement patients. This study aimed to observe muscle activation patterns in normal and impingement shoulder patients and determine if there were any significant differences.
Method: 19 adult subjects were asked to perform shoulder abduction in their symptomatic arm and non-symptomatic. 10 of these subjects (age 47.9 ± 11.2) were screened for shoulder impingement, and 9 subjects (age 38.9 ± 14.3) had no history of shoulder pathology. Surface EMG was used to collect data for 6 shoulder muscles (Upper, middle and lower trapezius, serratus anterior, infraspinatus, middle deltoids) which was then filtered and fully rectified. Subjects performed 3 smooth unilateral abduction movements at a cadence of 16 beats of a metronome set at 60bpm, and the mean of their results was recorded. T-tests were used to indicate any statistical significance in the data sets. Significance was set at P<0.05.
Results: There was a significant difference in muscle activation with serratus anterior in particular showing a very low level of activation throughout the range when compared to normal shoulder activation patterns (<30%). Middle deltoid recruitment was significantly reduced between 60-90o in the impingement group (30:58%).Trends were noted in other muscles with upper trapezius and infraspinatus activating more rapidly and erratically (63:25%; 60:27% respectively), and lower trapezius with less recruitment (13:30%) in the patient group, although these did not quite reach significance.
Conclusion: There appears to be some interesting alterations in muscle recruitment patterns in impingement shoulder patients when compared against their own unaffected shoulders and the control group. In particular changes in scapula control (serratus anterior and trapezius) and lateral rotation (infraspinatus), which have direct influence on the sub-acromial space, should be noted. It is still not clear whether these alterations are causative or reactionary, but this finding gives a clear indication to the importance of addressing muscle reeducation as part of a rehabilitation programme in shoulder impingement patients