Functional Anatomy and Biomechanics in Sport

A comprehensive vocabulary review set covering functional anatomy, major muscle actions, biomechanical forces, motion types, projectile mechanics, balance, levers, and aerodynamic principles.

Functional Anatomy

The study of how muscles and bones in the body work together to produce movement.

Anatomy

The study of the structural components of the human body.

Musculoskeletal System

The combined muscular and skeletal systems that provide support, structure, stability, and movement in the body.

Involuntary Muscles

Muscles found in internal organs (such as the intestines) that cannot be consciously controlled.

Cardiac Muscle

Involuntary muscle found exclusively in the heart that continuously contracts to pump blood throughout the body.

Voluntary Muscles

Skeletal or striped muscles that are under conscious control and enable bodily movement.

Muscle Contraction

A state of tension in which muscle fibres shorten and become tighter.

Muscle Relaxation

A state in which tension on muscle fibres decreases, allowing them to lengthen and loosen.

Deltoid

A muscle that raises the arm sideways at the shoulder.

Biceps

A muscle that bends the arm at the elbow joint.

Triceps

A muscle that straightens the arm at the elbow joint.

Abdominals

Muscles that pull in the abdomen and flex the spine to allow bending forward.

Hamstrings

Muscles that bend the leg at the knee joint.

Gluteals

Muscles that pull the leg backward at the hip and raise it sideways at the hip.

Pectorals

Muscles that raise the arm at the shoulder and draw it across the chest.

Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)

Muscles that pull the arm down at the shoulder and draw it behind the back.

Trapezius

A muscle that holds and rotates the shoulders and moves the head backward and sideways.

Quadriceps

Muscles that straighten the leg at the knee and keep it straight when standing.

Gastrocnemius

A muscle that straightens the ankle joint to allow standing on the tiptoes.

Reciprocal Inhibition

The physiological process during which the muscle on one side of a joint relaxes to accommodate the contraction of the muscle on the opposing side.

Isotonic Contraction

A muscle contraction where muscles produce tension as they shorten or lengthen across a joint's range of motion.

Isometric Contraction

A muscle contraction where tension is produced without the muscle shortening or lengthening, resulting in no movement across the joint.

Concentric Contraction

A type of muscle contraction that results in the shortening of the muscle.

Eccentric Contraction

A type of muscle contraction that results in the lengthening of the muscle under tension.

Muscle Origin

The site of muscle attachment to a stationary bone.

Muscle Insertion

The site of muscle attachment to the moving bone.

Agonist (Prime Mover)

The primary muscle that contracts to produce the force needed to create a movement.

Antagonist

The muscle that opposes the prime mover to control and stabilise movement.

Synergist

A stabiliser muscle that acts to stabilise a joint during movement.

Fixator

A stabiliser muscle that acts to stabilise the origin of the agonist muscle.

Biomechanics

The field of study examining how the laws of mechanics relate to human movement.

Mechanics

A branch of science that uses mathematics to analyse motion, speed, and forces applied in sport.

Force

A push or pull that occurs when two objects interact, causing a change in motion.

Internal Forces

Forces generated within the body by muscles contracting and relaxing to pull on tendons and joints.

External Forces

Forces generated outside the body through interactions with the environment or objects, such as gravity, wind, and water resistance.

Ground Reaction Force

A contact force exerted by the ground on a body or object in direct contact with it.

Joint Reaction Force

A contact force generated by two bones acting on each other across a joint.

Friction Force

A contact force generated by the surface of an object rubbing against the surface of another object.

Drag Force

A contact force generated by a fluid (such as air or water) opposing the forward movement of an object.

Inertial Force

A contact force generated by the resistance of an object to a change in its velocity.

Elastic Force

A contact force generated by the resistance of an object to changing its shape.

Mass

The amount of matter in an object, measured in kilograms ($\text{kg}$).

Weight

A measure of the gravitational force acting on an object, calculated and expressed in newtons ($\text{N}$).

Momentum

The tendency of a moving body or object to continue moving along a straight line.

Impulse

The change in momentum that occurs over time when a force is applied to an object, defined mathematically as $\text{Impulse} = \text{Force} \times \text{Time}$ ($I = F \times t$).

Motion

The action or process of moving or being moved, referring to a change in position over time as a result of an applied force.

Linear Motion

The movement of a body or object travelling along a straight line.

Rectilinear Motion

A type of linear motion where an object travels along a straight line path.

Curvilinear Motion

A type of linear motion where an object travels along a curved path.

Angular Motion

The motion that occurs when all parts of an object rotate around a fixed point or axis.

General Motion

A combination of linear motion and angular motion occurring simultaneously.

Distance

A measure of the total length of space covered between two points during movement.

Displacement

A measure of the overall straight-line distance and direction from a starting point to an end point.

Acceleration

A measure of the rate at which the velocity of an object changes over time.

Projectile Motion

The movement of any object or athlete launched, thrown, or propelled into the air.

Trajectory

The curved parabolic flight path followed by a projectile after release.

Angle of Release

The angle at which an object is launched into the air, determining its flight path and horizontal distance.

Optimal Angle of Release

A release angle of $45^{\circ}$, which maximises the horizontal distance travelled by a projectile when release and landing heights are equal.

Height of Release

The vertical height at which an object is released relative to the ground.

Velocity of Release

The speed and direction of an object at the precise moment it is released into the air.

Vertical Velocity

The vertical component of projectile velocity that determines flight time and changes continuously due to gravity.

Horizontal Velocity

The constant horizontal component of projectile velocity that determines the distance travelled across the ground over equal intervals of time.

Stability

The degree to which an object or athlete can resist changes to their state of equilibrium.

Balance

The even distribution of weight that allows an individual or object to remain upright and steady.

Static Balance

The ability to maintain equilibrium and stability while the body is stationary.

Dynamic Balance

The ability to maintain equilibrium and control while the body is in motion.

Base of Support

The imaginary area enclosing the perimeter of all contact points between a body and the supporting surface.

Centre of Gravity

The theoretical point where all weight of an object or body is evenly distributed and balanced.

Line of Gravity

An imaginary vertical line indicating the direction of gravity acting downward from the centre of gravity toward the ground.

Lever

A simple machine consisting of a rigid bar supported by a pivot point (fulcrum) used to move a load.

Fulcrum

The pivot point around which a lever turns.

Load

The resistance or weight that is being moved by a lever system.

Effort

The force applied to move a lever and overcome the load.

Bernoulli's Principle

A fluid dynamics principle stating that an increase in fluid velocity is accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in fluid pressure.

Lift Force

A force generated perpendicular to the oncoming fluid flow that acts to push an object upwards.

Resultant Force

The net force produced by combining multiple acting forces (such as lift and drag), indicating the ultimate direction of motion.

Magnus Force

A force that explains why a spinning object curves away from its original trajectory as it moves through a fluid.

Topspin

A forward rotational spin that creates downward Magnus force, causing the ball to drop sharply.

Backspin

A backward rotational spin that generates upward Magnus force, causing the ball to stay aloft longer and fall slowly.

Sidespin

Rotational spin around a vertical axis that creates a lateral Magnus force, causing the ball to curve to the left or right.