Pes planus, or better known as flat feet, is a medical condition that affects the soles of the human feet at any point within one’s life, including at birth per Gross et. al. This condition is prevalent when the arch of the foot is collapsed, affecting a multitude of extremities throughout the human body such as outer and inner muscles in the sole of the foot, poor stability on the abnormal structure, and an increase in osteoarthritis, a noncurable condition that occurs when the ends of bones wear down at their ends. The particular relationship between flat feet and the immediate response to osteoarthritis is a prevalent mitigation to people’s lives. This association of joint injury with flat feet references the cross area (CSA), with direct relation to the biomechanical forces acted to the sole, and how it impacts the rest of the cartilage on the knee, as best said by Sachini et al. As a result, the biomechanical forces affect the comfort and biological responses on the knee, affecting the lives of millions around the world. As a result, the question this blog post seeks to provide insight on is: What mechanical components are aligned with biological components that causes this condition? Additionally, this blog posts mentions the relationship and the whether there is a direct correlation between flat feet and in osteoarthritis.
Continue reading “Watch Your Step: The Relationship between Flat Feet and Arthritis”Tag: tendons and ligaments
Vibration and Perception: Your Bike’s Buzz Might Trick Your Brain to Push Harder
Today I rode my bike through the widespread green prairie of South Quad here at Notre Dame. The expanse of thin and evenly tall blades of grass is sliced by strips of smooth concrete, which streak across its surface. Except, of course, that concrete is not really smooth. If you’ve ever (1) reached and dragged your hand across concrete paths or (2) crashed and dragged your body across the concrete, then you intrinsically know that even seemingly smooth paths have texture.
And when you ride over any textured terrain, your tire experiences consecutive minute vertical displacements–aka vibrations–and then your frame experiences these vibrations, and then your handlebars experience these vibrations, and then YOU experience these vibrations in your hands and feet. Advanced riders agree on two things about vibrations: they help you “feel” the texture of the trail, which improves control and confidence, and severe vibrations punish your forearms with lactic acid buildup, which increases fatigue. But how do vibrations affect the average rider on sidewalks and paths? How do they affect your muscular fatigue and performance in your extremities (arms/legs)? Because every time you ride a bike, you’re experiencing vibrations.
Continue reading “Vibration and Perception: Your Bike’s Buzz Might Trick Your Brain to Push Harder”Tap out before your ligaments do: The mechanics of Jiu Jitsu joint submissions
Take a look at one of your limbs and straighten it as much as you can. Notice that your elbows and knees each have a clearly defined limit of rotation – these are called “joint limits”. While you might not think about them much, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters see our joint limits as exploitable weaknesses. Martial artists have been inventing and refining ways to hyperextend their opponents’ joints for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. These “joint submissions” are executed by acting as human levers or torque wrenches, trying to rotate joints past their limits.
Continue reading “Tap out before your ligaments do: The mechanics of Jiu Jitsu joint submissions”Running and Dancing: What Our Achilles Tendons Can Handle
Imagine trying to withstand a force 12 times your own body weight. Sounds impossible, yet that’s what your Achilles tendon (AT) does during something as simple as running. As the strongest tendon in the body, it’s essential for every movement. But the same repetitive motions that strengthen this tendon can also lead to injury. Achilles tendinopathy, pain and swelling along the tendon, is one of the most common overuse injuries in both runners and dancers. So how can similar motions account for both AT strength and damage?
Continue reading “Running and Dancing: What Our Achilles Tendons Can Handle”Where the Treatable can become Life-Threatening: The Link Between Patellar Dislocations, Biomechanics, and Wilderness Emergency Medicine
The dislocation of the patella is the dislocation of the kneecap sideways— either laterally, to the outward facing side of the leg, or medially, to the inward facing side of the leg. While the condition is rare, accounting for around 3% of knee injuries, acute patellar dislocations are painful health emergencies with long-lasting consequences if not properly treated. This is especially true in a wilderness medicine context: a patellar dislocation may create dangerous and even deadly scenarios in the backcountry, where long, complicated evacuation processes will prolong patient discomfort and the precarious wilderness environment may lead to further danger. Thus certified wilderness first responders are permitted to perform straightforward dislocation reductions in a backcountry setting to alleviate pain and assist evacuation.
Continue reading “Where the Treatable can become Life-Threatening: The Link Between Patellar Dislocations, Biomechanics, and Wilderness Emergency Medicine”Patellar Tendonitis: Affecting Forces and Recovery Methods
Patellar tendonitis, also known as jumper’s knee, is inflammation of the patellar tendon. This tendon connects the patella (kneecap) to the tibia. Its function is to extend the leg by transmitting the force produced by the quad to do so. Tendonitis develops when there is overuse of the tendon, Athletes who participate in sports such as basketball or volleyball are more likely to develop patellar tendonitis. Tendonitis is a complex injury that is difficult to overcome and can delay an athlete’s return to play. Understanding the forces acting on the tendon during jumping can help create a plan that will help the athlete return to play quickly and reduce the chances of reinjury.
Continue reading “Patellar Tendonitis: Affecting Forces and Recovery Methods”Ostrich-ized From Flight, But Not From Stride: The Unique Biomechanics of the World’s Fastest Bird
Ostriches are the largest two-footed bird. While they are unable to fly, they are the fastest running birds in the world, reaching speeds of up to 43 mph. But how are these large birds able to reach such fast speeds? Understanding the kinematics of ostrich motion compared to humans can reveal to us important information that can help when designing human-based technologies.
Continue reading “Ostrich-ized From Flight, But Not From Stride: The Unique Biomechanics of the World’s Fastest Bird”Double-Jointedness: the Benefits and Drawbacks of Hypermobility
Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Patrick Mahomes, and Shohei Ohtani are all athletes who have benefited from hypermobile joints. However, hypermobility can be both a blessing and a curse. Joint hypermobility, or “double-jointedness”, is when joints are able to move beyond their normal range of motion, and the connective tissue holding joints together is loose or weak. Most people with hypermobile joints do not experience any issues, but some suffer from ligament and tendon injuries, joint pain, tiredness, anxiety disorders, and bowel issues.
Continue reading “Double-Jointedness: the Benefits and Drawbacks of Hypermobility”Turf Toe Explained: The Metatarsal Joint Injury Behind a Common Sports Setback
In some of the world’s greatest sports such as football, soccer, basketball, etc., injuries are the topic of conversation. How many weeks will the franchise athlete miss with an Achilles tear, knee sprain, Tommy John surgery, or broken bone? However, an injury to the metatarsophalangeal joint, commonly known as Turf Toe, can cause an athlete severe pain leaving star players sidelined for prolonged periods of time. While the increased flexion at the connection between the great or big toe and the bottom of the foot will continue to be present in every high-level sport, understanding the mechanics surrounding this injury might help remediate and treat this pain in the future.
Continue reading “Turf Toe Explained: The Metatarsal Joint Injury Behind a Common Sports Setback”Is Static Stretching the Key to Muscular Gains?
In the present day, it can seem as though nearly every young person wants to be muscular. Phrases such as “winter arc” or “the bulk” are frequently used on social media platforms to describe people changing their physique through weight training. With this resurgent fitness craze, it is evident that there are many gym-goers who are actively looking for ways to maximize muscular growth gains. Researchers have recently discovered that one unconventional method for making those gains is through static stretching.
Read more: Is Static Stretching the Key to Muscular Gains?Static Stretching Explained
Static stretching, which entails maintaining a stationary position where a muscle is at full extension, has often been a topic of discussion in weightlifting communities in years past. There have been many unsettled debates on whether or not stretching techniques can improve strength performance and muscle size. In recent years, however, new studies have been conducted which may point towards the potentially massive benefits of static stretching for muscle growth.
The current understanding is that static stretching induces mechanical stresses, primarily tension, on the muscles of the body. If performed for a long enough duration, this induced stress can lead to muscle hypertrophy. During hypertrophy, the organelles inside of muscle fibers, called myofibrils, which are made up of actin and myosin proteins surrounded by a gel like substance called sarcoplasm, experience some damaging and deformation. In the reconstruction process, new proteins are then generated through muscle protein synthesis, which causes the myofibrils to become thicker and denser, ultimately leading to increased strength. Thus, to achieve any significant muscle growth, hypertrophy must be reached.
First Human Testing
Multiple studies within the last two years have demonstrated that prolonged static stretching in humans can lead to similar levels of muscle hypertrophy in comparison to traditional weight lifting methods. One such study conducted by Wohlann et al. concluded that multiple fifteen minute stretching sessions focused on the pectoral muscles had a nearly equivalent increase in muscle strength when compared to performing traditional weighted exercises concentrated on the same muscles. Another study, by Warneke et al. obtained similar results with the plantar flexors, although in this case the static stretch was held for one hour every day. These findings indicate that regardless of the mechanism or method for creating stress, as long as muscle fibers are kept in constant tension there can be hypertrophy and thereby growth.
To achieve constant stress, the studies mentioned utilized external loads and re-adjusted positioning. Study participants would strap into simple devices which allowed for continual tightening as their muscles loosened over time after being initially stretched. Although uncomfortable to maintain, this constant stress is crucial for breaking down the myosin proteins. Only after the proteins are broken down mechanically does the body generate an inflammatory response which signals to begin the repairing process.
Current Applications
Although the practicality of static stretching as a primary means of achieving muscle growth still remains in question, there is no doubt that the potential benefits of stretching are much greater than sole flexibility. These findings grant deeper insights into the large role tension plays in muscle growth which can be taken and applied to weight training. As more research is conducted, it is highly possible that the answer to the long-asked question of how to achieve maximum hypertrophy may involve some combination of traditional weight lifting techniques and more novel static stretching holds.
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Feature photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.