Biomechanics and ergonomics

Sports performance, and how to improve it, can be studied from different disciplinary perspectives such as sociology, psychology, philosophy, biomedicine, (exercise) physiology, biomechanics, ergonomics, or combinations of these. Understanding sports performance as a Paralympic sports scientist, coach, or athlete through observation within each of these disciplines will help to refine individual or team sports performance. Studies from biomechanics and ergonomics are critical for the study of power production, speed, timing, technique, coordination, precision, and strategy during sports events or training. This chapter primarily provides an overview of the role of the two classic biomechanical subdisciplines, kinematics and kinetics. Practical implications for Paralympic sports performance and health preservation are also provided. The biomechanics of amputee running and wheeled sports are presented sequentially, with a predominant starting role for time and speed and other kinematic characteristics of amputee running, while energy preservation and power output are taken as key points in wheeled sports performance.