Richly illustrated and presented in clear, concise language, Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles is an essential resource for those seeking advanced knowledge of muscle biomechanics. Written by leading experts Vladimir Zatsiorsky and Boris Prilutsky, the text is one of the few to look at muscle biomechanics in its entirety—from muscle fibers to muscle coordination—making it a unique contribution to the field.
Using a blend of experimental evidence and mechanical models, Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles provides an explanation of whole muscle biomechanics at work in the body in motion. The book first addresses the mechanical behavior of single muscles—from the sarcomere level up to the entire muscle. The architecture of human muscle, the mechanical properties of tendons and passive muscles, the biomechanics of active muscles, and the force transmission and shock absorption aspects of muscle are explored in detail. Next, the various issues of muscle functioning during human motion are addressed. The transformation from muscle force to joint movements, two-joint muscle function, eccentric muscle action, and muscle coordination are analyzed.
This advanced text assumes some knowledge of algebra and calculus; however, the emphasis is on understanding physical concepts. Higher-level computational descriptions are placed in special sections in the later chapters of the book, allowing those with a strong mathematical background to explore this material in more detail. Readers who choose to skip over these sections will find that the book still provides a strong conceptual understanding of advanced topics.
Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles also contains numerous special features that facilitate readers’ comprehension of the topics presented. More than 300 illustrations and accompanying explanations provide an extensive visual representation of muscle biomechanics. Refresher sidebars offer brief reminders of mathematical and biomechanical concepts, and From the Literature sidebars present practical examples that illustrate the concepts under discussion. Chapter summaries and review questions provide an opportunity for reflection and self-testing, and reference lists at the end of each chapter provide a starting point for further study.
Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles offers a thorough explanation of whole muscle biomechanics, bridging the gap between foundational biomechanics texts and scientific literature. With the information found in this text, readers can prepare themselves to better understand the latest in cutting-edge research.
Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles is the third volume in the Biomechanics of Human Motion series. Advanced readers in human movement science gain a comprehensive understanding of the biomechanics of human motion as presented by one of the world’s foremost researchers on the subject, Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky. The series begins with Kinematics of Human Motion, which details human body positioning and movement in three dimensions; continues with Kinetics of Human Motion, which examines the forces that create body motion and their effects; and concludes with Biomechanics of Skeletal Muscles, which explains the action of the biological motors that exert force and produce mechanical work during human movement.
Part I. Muscle Architecture and Mechanics
Chapter 1. Muscle Architecture
Chapter 2. Properties of Tendons and Passive Muscles
Chapter 3. Mechanics of Active Muscle
Chapter 4. Muscles as Force and Energy Absorbers
Part II Muscles in the Body
Chapter 5. From Muscle Forces to Joint Moments
Chapter 6. Two-Joint Muscles in Human Motion
Chapter 7. Eccentric Muscle Action in Human Motion
Chapter 8. Muscle Coordination in Human Motion
Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky, PhD, is a world-renowned expert in the biomechanics of human motion. He has been a professor in the department of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University since 1991 and was a director of the university's biomechanics laboratory.
Before coming to North America in 1990, Dr. Zatsiorsky served for 18 years as professor and chair of the department of biomechanics at the Central Institute of Physical Culture in Moscow. He has received several awards for his achievements, including the Geoffrey Dyson Award from the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (the society's highest honor), Jim Hay’s Memorial Award from the American Society of Biomechanics, and the USSR's National Gold Medal for the Best Scientific Research in Sport in 1976 and 1982. For 26 years he served as consultant to the national Olympic teams of the USSR. He was also the director of the USSR's All-Union Research Institute of Physical Culture for three years.
Boris I. Prilutsky, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of Applied Physiology and director of biomechanics and motor control laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Before that position, he was a senior research scientist in Georgia Tech’s Center for Human Movement Studies from 1998 to 2005.
His research interests include muscle biomechanics, neural control of movements, and motor learning. His research contributed to the development of methods for quantifying mechanical energy transfer by two-joint muscles between body segments during locomotion and to the understanding of muscle coordination during human motion. Prilutsky has published more than 50 peer-reviewed research articles and five book chapters, and he is the author of six patents. His research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF).