Biomechanical Movement Exam Questions with
Correct Verified Solutions
The ankle operates as a lever as the athlete pushed off the ground. Identify the class of lever operating
at the ankle and explain the mechanical advantage of the class of lever for the athlete. - Answer -
Second class lever system.
- Longer effort arm.
- Hurdler provides minimal effort to generate height to clear the hurdle.
It is important for sprinters to push off the blocks effectively to achieve a fast start. Using Newton's first
and second laws of linear motion and knowledge of the neuromuscular system, analyse how a sprinter is
able to achieve a fast start. - Answer A01
LAWS:
- First Law = Law of Inertia.
- Inertia is body's reluctance to change its state of motion.
- A force is required to overcome inertia.
- Second Law = Law of Acceleration.
- Rate of change of momentum of an object directly proportional to force causing change.
- Any change in momentum takes place in direction force applied. Force = mass x acceleration.
NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEM:
- Muscle contraction brought about by recruitment muscle fibres.
- Spatial summation = when strength of contraction changes by altering number motor units.
- Wave summation = There's repeated nerve impulse with no time relax - smooth, sustained contraction
occurs = tetanic contraction.
- Muscle fibres form motor unit, each muscle fibre in unit contracting or relaxing at same time.
- Different sizes of motor unit.
Newton's Laws and Neuromuscular continued - Answer A02
LAWS:
, - Sprinters current state inertia is stationary - alter state inertia, sprinter needs apply muscular force by
contracting leg muscles in order overcome inertia = can leave blocks moving from stationary position to
begin running.
NEUROMUSCULAR:
- Varying force muscles contraction and number motor units recruited - sprinter cause change in
momentum from stationary to moving.
- Sprinter applies force against blocks & then to ground to generate required momentum to move
forward.
- Be beneficial for sprinter have high % fast twitch fibres type 11x.
- Sprinter recruit large, fast twitch motor units in leg muscles generate force required to overcome
inertia.
- Sprinter use spatial summation - varying number motor units recruited throughout muscle allow fibres
in each unit relax whilst others contracting to provide necessary force.
Newton's Laws and Neuromuscular system continued - Answer A03
LAWS:
- Greater muscular force that sprinter can apply against blocks, more readily body will alter its state
inertia = allow sprinter move more quickly out of blocks.
- Varying force muscles contraction, greater force generates, greater acceleration away from blocks =
better start.
NEUROMUSCULAR:
- If sprinter increases frequency of stimulation of muscle fibres in motor unit - next impulse reaches
muscle before has completely relaxed from previous the resulting force = greater.
- Sprinter may use wave summation to increase force of muscle contraction further = generating greater
force & greater acceleration according newtons 2nd law.
Name three factors that affect the distance the shot travels. - Answer 1. Height of release.
2. Speed of release.
3. Angle of release.
Correct Verified Solutions
The ankle operates as a lever as the athlete pushed off the ground. Identify the class of lever operating
at the ankle and explain the mechanical advantage of the class of lever for the athlete. - Answer -
Second class lever system.
- Longer effort arm.
- Hurdler provides minimal effort to generate height to clear the hurdle.
It is important for sprinters to push off the blocks effectively to achieve a fast start. Using Newton's first
and second laws of linear motion and knowledge of the neuromuscular system, analyse how a sprinter is
able to achieve a fast start. - Answer A01
LAWS:
- First Law = Law of Inertia.
- Inertia is body's reluctance to change its state of motion.
- A force is required to overcome inertia.
- Second Law = Law of Acceleration.
- Rate of change of momentum of an object directly proportional to force causing change.
- Any change in momentum takes place in direction force applied. Force = mass x acceleration.
NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEM:
- Muscle contraction brought about by recruitment muscle fibres.
- Spatial summation = when strength of contraction changes by altering number motor units.
- Wave summation = There's repeated nerve impulse with no time relax - smooth, sustained contraction
occurs = tetanic contraction.
- Muscle fibres form motor unit, each muscle fibre in unit contracting or relaxing at same time.
- Different sizes of motor unit.
Newton's Laws and Neuromuscular continued - Answer A02
LAWS:
, - Sprinters current state inertia is stationary - alter state inertia, sprinter needs apply muscular force by
contracting leg muscles in order overcome inertia = can leave blocks moving from stationary position to
begin running.
NEUROMUSCULAR:
- Varying force muscles contraction and number motor units recruited - sprinter cause change in
momentum from stationary to moving.
- Sprinter applies force against blocks & then to ground to generate required momentum to move
forward.
- Be beneficial for sprinter have high % fast twitch fibres type 11x.
- Sprinter recruit large, fast twitch motor units in leg muscles generate force required to overcome
inertia.
- Sprinter use spatial summation - varying number motor units recruited throughout muscle allow fibres
in each unit relax whilst others contracting to provide necessary force.
Newton's Laws and Neuromuscular system continued - Answer A03
LAWS:
- Greater muscular force that sprinter can apply against blocks, more readily body will alter its state
inertia = allow sprinter move more quickly out of blocks.
- Varying force muscles contraction, greater force generates, greater acceleration away from blocks =
better start.
NEUROMUSCULAR:
- If sprinter increases frequency of stimulation of muscle fibres in motor unit - next impulse reaches
muscle before has completely relaxed from previous the resulting force = greater.
- Sprinter may use wave summation to increase force of muscle contraction further = generating greater
force & greater acceleration according newtons 2nd law.
Name three factors that affect the distance the shot travels. - Answer 1. Height of release.
2. Speed of release.
3. Angle of release.
