Biomechanical properties of muscle-tendon unit and their training applications

Abstract

A large number of human movement studies have focused on functioning of complex biological systems. These systems can be observed as one muscle-tendon unit or one muscle fiber, one limb or joint, or a whole locomotor system presented as a kinetics chain. A muscletendon unit may generate forces in two distinctly different ways: as an elastic-like spring in stretch-shortening motion and as converters of metabolic energy into mechanical work. Furthermore, during movement a muscle-tendon unit can be stiff or compliant. Understanding these conditions during movement would provide important information that could be used for sports performance improvement and injury prevention planning.

Keywords

• strain energy
• stiffness
• compliance