Sports Biomechanics

Book excerpt: Human beings are the 'all-rounders' of the natural world – while they aren't naturally the quickest, biggest or strongest creatures, they can achieve more amazing physical feats than any other animal. Nowhere is this ability more pronounced than in sporting performance, the ideal area for studying the mechanics of a human – our biomechanics. But all too often the study of sports biomechanics can become bogged down in pure mathematics, tables and graphs that bear little resemblance to what you see on the field of play. In this comprehensively revised third edition of bestselling Sports Biomechanics, Professor Anthony Blazevich answers real-world questions using easily accessible language and fully updated, clear and concise diagrams. Each chapter is devoted to a single area of the subject and details scientific underpinnings of sports performance; this edition features a new chapter on human gait (walking and running) as well as new information on the latest topics in sport biomechanics. An absolutely essential resource for any student, athlete or fitness professional involved in the field of sports biomechanics.