A Brief History of Biomechanics
Biomechanics is a term that is all too infrequently used when discussing training or any kind of exercise related topic. In a brief phrase, Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems. It takes what seems like an impossible task of defining the ever unique human body as a mechanical structure. If you really think about it, the body is a series of long poles, connected together at joints, moved by force that pull the joints in different directions. Why is this such an important and also underutilized science that can greatly influence human performance, not just in sport, but in any aspect of life. Many of the products we use are built around the way certain parts of the body are built, like the seat of a car to support the curvature of the spine, or the layout of an application to place button easily accessed by the thumb. But Biomechanics can also influence the way humans exercise. In sports, the study of biomechanics can help a sprinter optimize their stride, shaving thousandths of a second to win the race. It can also help the quarterback engage the hips, increasing the distance and power of their throw. All these little details that we often don’t think about in our day to day life or our training routines have been at play and of interest of people for some thousands of years.?
It was discovered that in the Egyptian empire, back in 1700-1600 BC, there were ancient scrolls containing notes on primitive ideas concerning the anatomy of muscles and movement, often tied to the art of embalming.??
Hippocrates around 400 BC used logical conclusions to come up with unique tools to fix injuries to the joints. In roughly 350 BC, Aristotle in his book “De Motu Animalium” (On the Movement of Animals) defined animals’ bodies as mechanical systems and he described the actions of the muscles and subjected them to geometric analysis for the first time.
Leonardo Da Vinci and Galileo took some of the first major steps to modernize biomechanics by advancing in their respective areas of scientific discovery.?
Da Vinci was the first to ever dissect a human being in the modern age, providing new revelations into how our bones are laid out, the way the muscles are connected to them and what mechanisms move them.?
Galileo on the other hand is considered one of the fathers of Mechanics, and because of his studies in medicine and mechanics, we have one of the first written works describing the investigation of the mechanics of living systems from 1638.?
In 1679, the first work dedicated to living biomechanics “De Motu Animalium” was written by Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, borrowing their title from Aristotle. Borelli outlined specific movements and internal forces are explained given the knowledge of that day.
The modern concepts that have contributed to the science of biomechanics as we can see has been something that spans thousands of years bringing us all the way to where we are today, still learning and developing new theories, ideas, and applications to how humans move on a daily basis.?
It was Wilhelm and Eduard Weber in 1836 that conducted the first specific scientific research regarding human locomotion. With the purpose to analyze the idea that locomotion encompasses movement of all living creatures. They began to demonstrate the realization that movement is far from a simple process for humans and animals. For example, walking in humans is, in itself, an extremely complex action essentially utilizing over 200 bones and 300+ skeletal muscles to produce the coordinated movements to accomplish the task. What Wilhelm and Eduard found out was that the center of gravity in humans sits at nearly 56% of the height of the body. Not only that, but also that the center of gravity in humans is an essential point that indicates changes in types and intensity of movement.?
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The beginnings of biomechanics as a science gave rise to some very creative means to measure and analyze movement. Like this special suit below:
With the use of the available camera technology, a different perspective of walking was able to be seen and provide more and more insight into how the limbs coordinate and why they coordinate in this way.?
The way biomechanics is studied is advancing at an extremely fast rate with the availability of new technologies. Cameras continue to get more and more advanced each day and computers now have the ability to make calculations and identify movements simultaneously as well as show patterns or comparisons within a matter of seconds.?
All these things have contributed to society in a number of ways and to this day impacts your day to day life. For instance, the way cars and other automobiles implement safety measures when there is an accident or a crash, improvements in the way airbags deploy and how seatbelts fasten around the body have saved countless lives. The way prosthetic limbs are designed has also improved greatly over the past few decades giving individuals missing limbs more opportunities for comfort and independence. One of the more well-known applications is in sports and physical activity. Biomechanics has served as one of the key sciences helping athletes perform better. Studying how bodies move and the internal and external forces work together to perform activities has produced tremendous performances across the world of sports.?
Being able to measure the fine details of how the body moves during different sports has given coaches and trainers a great deal of insight into ways to personalize the training regimens of their clients and athletes. This information has proven to be invaluable for athletes and clients as well helping them achieve physical fitness beyond their expectations. Which is why many trainers and coaches implement a number of assessments into their systems that help them track specific indicators that are key to improvement. Oftentimes these assessments can be a daunting task requiring hours of detailed analysis and watching videos of movements over and over again. But thanks to advances in technology and a better understanding of biomechanics, there are better tools up and coming helping trainers and coaches bring the benefits of better biomechanical measurements.?
How do you assess your client’s movement? What do you wish was easier? What do you think are the most important indicators to measure?
Sources:
Houcke, J. V., Khanduja, V., Pattyn, C., & Audenaert, E. (2017). The History of Biomechanics in Total Hip Arthroplasty. Indian journal of orthopaedics, 51(4), 359–367. https://doi.org/10.4103/ortho.IJOrtho_280_17