Question: what does biomechains

LauraAnne Furlong answered on 8 Nov 2016:

Biomechanics is the physics of sport, so we measure things like forces. There are two main parts to biomechanics, the bit where we try to maximise performance – e.g. the English Institute of Sport has lots of biomechanists working with them who will specialise in a particular sport, and will work with an athlete to ensure they have the best body position mechanically for that sport to generate as much force as possible and move as quickly as possible. The biomechanist may also be involved in designing equipment to maximise performance too. The other thing biomechanists focus on is how to reduce injury, or recover from injury. For this, we would look at what sort of movement patterns or forces are likely to cause someone to get an injury. Biomechanists also work with clinical populations, to understand how to help someone who requires rehabilitation, and with engineers to help design prostheses for amputees or designing robotics so we have lots of different types of work we can do!