Welcome to Part 4 of our blog series on the Needs Analysis for Athlete and Strength and Conditioning Programs!
In this post, we will look at the biomechanics of various tasks and how understanding these demands is crucial for designing effective training programs. By analyzing movements, joint mechanics, and muscle actions, strength and conditioning coaches can make informed decisions about program design and training recommendations.
Importance of Understanding Biomechanical Demands:
Informed Program Design: It allows coaches to create programs that address the specific movements and forces involved in the sport or activity, ensuring that athletes are adequately prepared.
Targeted Training:
Identifying the key movements and techniques enables more focused and effective training.
Injury Prevention:
Analyzing biomechanics helps in identifying potential injury risks and developing strategies to mitigate them. More on this next week!
Performance Optimization:
Coaches can help athletes improve their technique and efficiency, leading to better performance.
Biomechanical Analysis:
The biomechanical analysis involves studying the techniques used in the activity, including both internal (joint power/torque) and external (movement patterns within the task) analyses. Understanding joint mechanics and torque helps the strength and conditioning coach understand the demands placed on the joints and muscles. This analysis typically breaks down movements into phases (eccentric, Isometric, and concentric actions) and examines the stretch-shortening cycle of muscles.
Stretch-Shortening Cycle:
This refers to the muscle's ability to quickly transition from stretching to contracting. The stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) is a natural muscle action that helps you generate more power when you move. It involves three main phases:
Eccentric Phase (Stretching):
This is when your muscles are lengthening under tension. For example, when you squat down before jumping, your leg muscles are stretching.
Amortization Phase (Transition):
This is a very brief moment when your muscles switch from stretching to contracting. It's like the split second when you've squatted down as far as you can before you start to jump up. The faster this phase, the better.
Concentric Phase (Shortening):
This is when your muscles contract and shorten to produce movement. In the jump example, it's when you push off the ground and lift off.
The SSC helps you use stored energy from the stretching phase to boost your power in the contracting phase. This makes movements like jumping, sprinting, or lifting weights more powerful and efficient. It’s like stretching a rubber band and then letting it go – the stretch stores energy, and releasing it makes the rubber band snap back quickly. They are also broken down into speeds of contaction (slow & fast).
Slow and Fast Stretch-Shortening Cycles:
Slow Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC):
Example: Going down slowly for a squat and then standing up
Eccentric Phase (Stretching):
Imagine you're doing a squat. You lower yourself down slowly and steadily. Your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and glutes (butt muscles) are lengthening as you descend.
Amortization Phase (Transition):
At the bottom of the squat, there's a brief pause before you start to stand back up. This pause allows the muscles to transition from stretching to contracting.
Concentric Phase (Shortening):
You then stand up from the squat position in a controlled manner. Your muscles contract and shorten, lifting your body back to the starting position.
In this example, the SSC is slow because of the controlled descent and ascent, and the pause at the bottom.
Fast Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC):
Example: A quick drop jump (plyometric jump)
Eccentric Phase (Stretching):
Stand on a box or platform and quickly drop down to the ground. As you land, your leg muscles (quadriceps and glutes) stretch rapidly to absorb the impact.
Amortization Phase (Transition):
The moment your feet touch the ground, there’s an almost instantaneous transition from the stretch to the contraction. This phase should be extremely brief – the quicker, the better.
Concentric Phase (Shortening):
Immediately push off the ground and jump as high as you can. Your muscles contract forcefully and quickly to propel you upward.
In this example, the SSC is fast because of the quick drop, immediate transition, and explosive jump. The rapid cycle enhances the power and height of the jump. As you can propably see, understanding these concepts helps optimize training for safer and better outcomes.
Practical Example: Biomechanical Assessment for a Firefighter.
Movements Involved:
Upper Body:
Handling hoses, lifting equipment, breaking down doors.
Lower Body:
Climbing stairs, carrying heavy loads, navigating uneven terrain.
Trunk:
Stabilizing the body during heavy lifting, maintaining posture while wearing protective gear.
Key Movements:
Climbing Stairs:
Involves hip and knee extension, significant load on quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Handling Hoses:
Requires shoulder flexion and extension, elbow flexion, and core stabilization.
Lifting Equipment:
Engages the entire posterior chain, including back, glutes, and hamstrings, along with the core for stabilization.
Forces and Loads:
Firefighters experience high forces during lifting and carrying, as well as dynamic loads during movements like climbing and breaking down doors.
Stretch-Shortening Cycle:
Slow SSC:
Tasks like climbing stairs involve slow SSCs due to larger angle displacements and sustained muscle contractions.
Fast SSC:
Tasks such as quickly handling hoses and tools involve fast SSCs due to smaller angle displacements and rapid muscle contractions.
Biomechanical Assessment Tools:
Motion Capture:
To analyze the movement patterns and joint angles during tasks.
Force Plates:
To measure the ground reaction forces during activities like climbing stairs or lifting.
Video Analysis:
To visually assess technique and identify areas for improvement.
Observation: To monitor real-time performance and make immediate adjustments.
Practical Example: Biomechanical Assessment for an Ultra Endurance Runner.
Movements Involved:
Lower Body:
Running involves repetitive hip flexion and extension, knee flexion and extension, and ankle plantarflexion and dorsiflexion.
Trunk:
Core stability is essential to maintain posture and efficiency over long distances.
Key Movements:
Running Stride:
Involves a complex coordination of lower body muscles, including quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes.
Uphill and Downhill Running:
Requires different muscle activation patterns and joint mechanics, with greater emphasis on eccentric muscle contractions during downhill running.
Forces and Loads:
Ultra endurance runners experience repetitive low-to-moderate forces over extended periods, which can lead to overuse injuries if not managed properly.
Stretch-Shortening Cycle:
Slow SSC:
Predominantly involved in maintaining running form and posture over long distances, especially during steady-state running.
Fast SSC:
More relevant during changes in pace, such as sprint finishes or uphill bursts, where rapid muscle contractions are required.
Biomechanical Assessment Tools:
Motion Capture:
To analyze running gait and identify inefficiencies.
Force Plates:
To measure impact forces and ground reaction forces.
Video Analysis:
To assess running form and technique.
Observation:
To monitor fatigue and form changes during long runs.
Training Implications:
Program Design:
Understanding the biomechanical demands allows us to design training programs that address specific movements and forces. For firefighters, this might include functional strength training and stability exercises. For ultra endurance runners, it might involve gait analysis and corrective exercises.
Injury Prevention:
Knowledge of biomechanics helps in identifying potential injury risks and developing targeted strategies to prevent them. This includes specific strengthening exercises, mobility work, and technique improvement.
Special Considerations:
Firefighters:
Must train for a wide range of movements and velocities, ensuring they are prepared for the unpredictable nature of their tasks.
Ultra Endurance Runners:
Need to focus on maintaining efficiency and minimizing the risk of overuse injuries through proper technique and recovery strategies.
Conclusion:
Understanding the biomechanical demands of a task is a cornerstone of effective strength and conditioning programming. By tailoring training to meet these demands, Dark Horse Athlete can help athletes achieve peak performance, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance overall efficiency. Stay tuned for our next article in this series, where we will look at the common mechanisms of injury within the tasks athletes perform.
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