Author Profile

Joanne Hill, PhD, is an internationally recognized sports biomechanist, researcher, and human performance consultant with over two decades of experience bridging the gap between human biology and mechanical engineering. Driven by a lifelong fascination with how the human body moves under extreme physical stress, Dr. Hill has dedicated her career to optimizing athletic performance and reducing injury risks across elite and recreational sports. Dr. Hill earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University, followed by a Master’s degree in Bioengineering. She completed her PhD in Sports Biomechanics at the University of Calgary’s Human Performance Laboratory, where her groundbreaking doctoral research focused on the 3D kinematics of lower-limb joints during high-velocity change-of-direction maneuvers. Her early academic work fundamentally shifted how sports scientists analyze ACL strain in female athletes. Following her academic training, Dr. Hill served as the Lead Biomechanist for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for eight years. During her tenure, she worked directly with track and field athletes, gymnasts, and weightlifters preparing for three consecutive Olympic Games. By using advanced wearable sensors, high-speed motion capture, and force-plate technology, she developed customized movement models that helped athletes shave milliseconds off sprint times and maximize vertical power output while minimizing structural overload. She directs the Human Motion Simulation Laboratory, leading a team of researchers investigating the intersection of muscle biology, tissue mechanics, and external forces. Her laboratory frequently partners with major global sportswear brands to engineer next-generation footwear and protective equipment designed to harmonize with natural human anatomy. Dr. Hill is a frequent keynote speaker at global conferences, including the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (ISBS) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). She has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals such as the Journal of Biomechanics and the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

About The Book

This book takes a unique approach to introducing exercise and sport biomechanics. Using simple terms, the book presents mechanics before functional anatomy, helping students first understand external forces and their effects on motion; then explores how the musculoskeletal system responds and generates its own internal forces to maintain position; and finally shows how to apply biomechanical principles to analyze movement and ultimately improve performance. The text enables students to discover the principles of biomechanics through observation. Easy-to-understand experiments are presented for students to try in the classroom or on their own. Sample problem sidebars guide students through choosing the appropriate equation to determine the forces acting or motion occurring in a specific scenario and then helps them solve the equation. This practical approach combining clear illustrations, sample calculations, and encouragement for active learning helps students develop a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanical concepts. Sports Biomechanics: Principles of Movement, Force, and Biology bridges the gap between scientific theory and athletic performance. This comprehensive text examines how the human body moves, generates force, and adapts to physical stress. By blending physics, anatomy, and physiology, the book provides a foundational understanding of the mechanical laws governing human movement. This book is an essential resource for undergraduate students in kinesiology, exercise science, and sports medicine. It also serves as a highly practical reference guide for elite coaches, physical therapists, and strength and conditioning specialists looking to enhance performance through data-driven movement analysis.

Table of Contents

PREFACE
. INTRODUCTION TO BIOMECHANICS OF HUMAN MOVEMENT
. What is Biomechanics? 2
. Why Study Biomechanics? 4
. Where Can I Find out about Biomechanics? 16
. Biomechanical Knowledge Versus Information 22
. Summary 28
.
. FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMECHANICS AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
. Key Mechanical Concepts 30
. Nine Fundamentals of Biomechanics 38
. Qualitative Analysis 47
. Summary 49
.
. ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION AND ITS LIMITATIONS
. Review of Key Anatomical Concepts 50
. Muscle Actions 61
. The Limitations of Functional Anatomical Analysis 67
. Force-Motion Principle 82
. Summary 85
.
. MECHANICS OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM
. Tissue Loads 87
. Response of Tissues To Forces 88
. Biomechanics of the Passive Muscle-Tendon Unit (MTU) 97
. Biomechanics of Ligaments 100
.


. Three Mechanical Characteristics of Muscle 103
. Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC) 118
. Force-Time Principle 122
. Neuromuscular Control 126
. Summary 134
.
. 5. LINEAR AND ANGULAR KINEMATICS
. Linear Motion 136
. Optimal Projection Principle 151
. Angular Velocity 158
. Coordination Continuum Principle 166
. Summary 169
.
. 6. LINEAR KINETICS
. Laws Of Kinetics 171
. Newton’s Laws of Motion 172
. Inertia Principle 180
. Muscle Angle of Pull: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Vectors 183
. Contact Forces 188
. Impulse-Momentum Relationship 190
. Force-Time Principle 194
. Work-Energy Relationship 197
. Segmental Interaction Principle 210
. Summary 217
.
. 7. ANGULAR KINETICS
. Torque 219
. Summing Torques 225
. Newton’s Angular Analogues 232
. Equilibrium 234
. Center of Gravity 235
. Principle of Balance 240
. Summary 248
.


. FLUID MECHANICS
. Fluids 250
. Fluid Forces 251
. Principle of Spin 272
. Summary 274
.
. APPLYING BIOMECHANICS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
. Qualitative Analysis of Kicking Technique 275
. Qualitative Analysis of Batting 279
. Qualitative Analysis of the Basketball Free Throw 282
. Exercise/Activity Prescription 283
. Qualitative Analysis of Catching 286
. Summary 288
.
. APPLYING BIOMECHANICS IN COACHING
. Qualitative Analysis of Throwing Technique 289
. Qualitative Analysis of Dribbling Technique 291
. Qualitative Analysis of Conditioning 293
. Recruitment 295
. Qualitative Analysis of Catching 297
. Summary 299
.
. APPLYING BIOMECHANICS IN STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
. Qualitative Analysis of Squat Technique 301
. Qualitative Analysis of Drop Jumps 303
. Exercise Specificity 305
. Injury Risk 308
. Equipment 310
. Summary 311
.
. APPLYING BIOMECHANICS IN SPORTS MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
. Injury Mechanisms 312
.


Exercise Specificity 314
Equipment 316
Readiness 317
Injury Prevention 319
Summary 321


BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX