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Ergonomics,
Technique, and Sports Equipment
Ergonomics
Athletes
do things throughout the day and night that will greatly affect their
performance during competition. Most people think nutrition and rest
is the major factor they have to worry about outside of competition
that will have a major affect on their performance. This is far from
the truth. While proper nutritional habits and rest play a large role
in athletic performance, so does proper ergonomical practices.
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Sitting Time
The majority of an athlete’s day is spent sitting down or lying
in bed. During this time, the athlete may encounter beds and chairs
or develop habits that will directly affect his/her performance. While
an athlete is at school/work for six/ten hours a day he/she will be
sitting in a desk. While in this desk, the athlete may slouch or make
a habit of having a bad posture. Athlete’s will also sit in
the car, sit down to eat, and sit down to read or watch TV at night.
Bad posture can result in improper skeletal structure growth (especially
during growth spurts) due to abnormal stresses being placed on the
athlete for long periods of time each day. This applies more to young
developing athletes. In addition, the bad posture can strain muscles
or fatigue muscles by causing them to be overworked. Often athletes
will complain of low back pain, pain in the neck, or pain in between
the shoulder blades. Sometimes the culprit is bad posture; however,
athletes will think they received this pain from training or competing.
Athletes should consider that bad postures can cause alterations in
the musculoskeletal system which may produce a decrease in performance.
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Bed Time
Bed time is also quite important. Athletes need their rest, and they
need good, quality rest. A hard mattress can cause pressure points
while an athlete sleeps. These pressure points can cut off blood flow,
which tells the body it needs to reposition itself to relieve the
pressure points. The athlete will toss and turn all night, and the
quality of sleep will not be good. Since the body does most of its
repairing from daily stresses during sleep, quality sleep is very
important. In addition, a hard mattress can cause the athlete to put
abnormal stresses on the muscles, bones, and joints. Over long periods
of time, this can cause inflammation to these structures, which will
definitely decrease performance. Athletes will work muscles during
practice. The purpose of rest is to repair and recharge. If an athlete
sleeps with an inefficient posture, he/she will be working the muscles
that need to be resting, and then the overuse of those muscles will
result in an injury.
If the athlete’s bed is too soft or sagging, then the athlete
can (especially in growth spurts) develop abnormal skeletal structure
growth due to abnormal stresses placed on the skeletal system. Also,
the athlete will develop bad sleeping postures. These bad postures
can harm the spine. If the bed is too soft or has a sag, abnormal
stress can be applied all night long to the disc in between the vertebra.
This will result in a multitude of problems that can decrease performance
or stop the athlete from performing.
The best thing to do is buy a soft but firm mattress. Soft enough
that it helps eliminate some of the pressure point problems and firm
enough that it will promote good posture. If an athlete sleeps on
one side a lot, a good habit for him/her to pick up is using a buddy
pillow between the knees. This will take pressure off the lower back
and at the same time take pressure off of the knees. By enhancing
an athlete’s posture and sleep time, athletes will avoid aches
and pains from bad postures. They will allow their body’s better
repair phases, and generally they will feel better about themselves.
This will help them perform better and become more successful on the
field.
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Technique
Athletes employ techniques to execute sports skills. Technique is
the use of proper form or proper biomechanics in order to efficiently
and effectively complete a skill or task. Proper form and biomechanics
can be defined as the use of optimal joint angles and limb positions.
Further more technique can be a pattern and sequence of movements
which provide optimal performance. This provides the best use of mechanical
principles to control and complete movements. Sports skills vary from
one sport to another. In some sports there may be several skills and
techniques used, while in other sports only one skill may be needed
to master.
Athletes use both good and bad technique. World class athletes are
technically sound and exercise at the greatest degree of efficiency
and safety. When athletes compete and execute good technique they
decrease their ability to get hurt. However, when athletes use bad
techniques they run the risk of becoming injured. When athletes use
good technique their movements become more efficient. This efficiency
provides a conservation of energy due to efficient motion. Inefficient
motions and techniques take greater energy usage to execute a skill.
For instance, runners who have a bounce in their step travel not only
horizontally but they travel vertically as well. This is an example
of bad technique. Efficient runners should have little or no vertical
component. For example, if a runner runs at 180 strides per minute
and her head rises 1.5 inches per stride, she will have traveled 22.5
feet vertically or about two flights of stairs every minute. In an
hour long race, this runner would have traveled over 1300 feet vertically.
This extra distance traveled can deplete valuable energy stores and
cause the runner to lose the race.
Coaches and/or the employment of motion analysis systems are imperative
for analysis of technique. Coaches can watch the motion and fluidity
of movement of an athlete. The coach can then change joint angles
and limb positions of the athlete in order to maximize performance.
Motion analysis systems can evaluate movements of the athlete in quantifications
that the human mind and eye cannot calculate. These systems are becoming
increasingly popular and are a valuable part of increasing sport performance.
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Athletic/Sports
Equipment
Helmets
Helmets are widely used in sports. Generally they are lined with air,
fluid, gel, or foam. The lining acts as a shock absorber during impact.
The outer shell layer is made of fiber glass, a high impact plastic,
or other material that can with stand a direct blow. The shell must
be firm enough that it does not deform during impact. The shell and
inner lining protect the skull from fracture or other trauma. The
helmet must with stand the environment. Heat can alter the effectiveness
(shock absorption) of the shell and liner. As a result some materials
under the stress of heat absorb less shock at higher temperatures
than lower temperatures.
Much research and testing is put into helmet design, and helmets
must meet certain criteria. Helmets are tested by certain organizations
(NOCSAE, ASTM, and HECC) and are stamped with that organizations approval
for meeting minimum impact standards. Anyone fitting or wearing a
helmet should read the guide lines for fitting a helmet from the manufacturer.
Proper fitting of the helmet is vital for the maximum protection from
the device.
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Padding and Guards
Padding is very important in athletics. It protects underlying tissues
from harmful forces that may harm them. Padding provides a larger
surface area for the force to be distributed over, or in some cases
the padding may redirect the force. Shoulder pads in football are
designed to dissipate force as the pad deforms and squishes. The pad
also distributes the force over a larger surface area--the whole area
of the shoulder pad. These two mechanisms reduce the amount of force
on the shoulder complex which would otherwise fracture without the
padding.
Athletes feet always impact the ground. Therefore,
some of the most important padding an athlete can employ is a good
pair of shoes. The force of impact between the foot and ground can
reach upwards of 14 times body weight during running. This means an
athlete that weights 150 lbs can experience over 2000 lbs of force
on his/her feet during running. The human body distributes these forces
well. The energy from the impact is absorbed and distributed throughout
the body. However, shoe companies spend millions of dollars every
year to increase the amount of cushion in the soles of shoes. This
cushion absorbs some of the impact forces and relieves the body of
the responsibility of absorbing all of the impact force. This greatly
reduces injuries to the foot, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back.
Many factors must be considered when choosing padding.
One must consider how the padding will affect performance and what
tissues the padding will guard. Factors to consider when choosing
padding include: the weight and size of the pads, the area the pads
will cover, the thickness and density of the materials that make up
the pads, the type of force the pads will be dissipating, and the
range of motion available to the athlete when wearing the pads. Athletic
trainers or sports medicine doctors will be your best source for choosing
the proper padding. Consult with them and they should guide you in
the right direction. After all, the wrong pad could decrease performance
and also pose an increase risk of injury. In addition, athletes should
never remove pads from equipment. Removal of padding could be detrimental
to the efficiency of energy absorption and energy dissipation by the
pad.
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Sports Bras
Sports bras prevent horizontal and vertical movement of the breast
during exercise. Bras are designed to limit motion; however some bras
do not effectively limit motion. The result is females suffering from
tender and sore breast after exercise. A female’s breast can
move thousands of times throughout competition, therefore sports bras
must be employed to prevent such motion of the breast. Women with
a breast size below a C cup may not need a special supportive or extremely
restrictive bra. Women with breast C cup or greater will need a firm
supportive type bra. Bras should be smooth around all areas. Any rough
or sharp areas will lead to irritation. The bra should have non slip
straps to insure that it will not fall or lose support during competition.
Sports bras can also reduce runner’s nipple in females which
is a friction injury to the nipple. The nipple may move and rub the
inside of the bra this can produce a very painful condition known
as runner’s nipple.
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Related
Links
OSHA
Ergonomics.org
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