Sports Biomechanics and Exercise Science

The III. Department of the Institute of Sports Science is concerned with education and research in a broad array of sports biomechanics and exercise science. The Research conducted by the Biomechanics Laboratory focuses on the investigation of biomechanical principles of movement in general and their application in sport techniques in particular. Major areas of study include several sub-domains of the disciplines such as developing experimental methods to quantify joint mechanics and muscle properties, conducting training studies to improve motor abilities and techniques in competitive sports such as track and field athletics, or exploring the mechanical behavior of musculoskeletal structures in experiments and simulations in order to understand how muscle properties and joint mechanics govern and influence the coordination of movement.

The main topics are:

• motion analysis and the optimization of sport techniques in elite sports (track and field, cross country skiing)
• Measurement of individual muscle forces
• Physical performance diagnostics for elite athletes
• physical responses to exercises for muscle development
• biomechanical modeling and simulation on the basis of multi body systems (inverse and forward dynamics)
• Modeling of the muscle tendon complex and the muscle skeletal system
• Development of measurement equipment and software tools for biomechanical analysis in different athletic disciplines (for example force platforms for sprint starts, 3D acceleration sensors in javelin throwing, force and inclination measurement for cross country ski poles, measuring centers for the long and high jumps, and to measure visco-elastic properties in leg joints)