Triathlon

Movement and its coordination

Learning objectives for this lecture

Understand that coordination takes place at many

levels of the motor system (neural, muscular,
skeletal)

Understand some fundamental principles underlying

the coordination of movement and muscle activation

Consider the coordinative implications of changing

rapidly between modes of locomotion
What is the goal of a triathlete during
each race?
The person who locomotes (swims/cycles/runs) at the
highest average velocity wins the race.

Goal: To locomote at the highest velocity.

But: Our locomotor velocity is limited by our capacity for

energy creation and force production.

Realistic goal: To locomote at the highest velocity allowed

by our cardiovascular and motor systems.

Operating principle: Minimum energy expenditure at

every velocity.
 How can we minimise energy
expenditure during a race?
Use efficient movement patterns (kinematics)

Minimise the production of unnecessary force and

distribute force absorption/production (kinetics)

Activate muscles in a manner that makes best use of

their force-producing characteristics (neuromuscular
control)
Kinematics: What does it mean to
move in an efficient way?
To move we must actively create force with at least one
muscle

That force creates torque and movement about at least

one joint

Because our bones are connected, movement around one

joint creates passive torques around connected joints (for
free)

Efficient movements take maximum advantage of these

passive torques and forces to create movement at low cost
Use of passive forces during walking
 An example (running)

Running is an activity usually involving active force

production in both stance and swing phases

To improve economy, passive forces can be used

instead of muscle contraction during the swing phase
 An example (running)

How else can we passively produce force?

 Kinetics: How can we minimise
unnecessary force production?
Minimise active force production in non-propelling
directions (consider a freestyle swimming stroke)

Minimise the production of external retarding forces

(water, wind).
 Kinetics: How can we distribute
force?
Aim: To distribute force absorption/production
across multiple muscles and joints to minimise
fatigue.

How can our musculoskeletal system distribute

forces across multiple joints?
Connective tissue that spans multiple joints
Muscles that span multiple joints
Kinetics: Efficient coordination of
mono- and bi-articular muscles
Mono-articular muscles:
Span one joint
Activation level is linked to torque production only at
the joint spanned
Activation level for a given action depends on the
‘moment arm’ of the muscle
Muscles on either side of a joint are usually
reciprocally active
Kinetics: Efficient coordination of
mono- and bi-articular muscles
Bi-articular muscles:
Span two joints
Most active when acting as agonist at both joints
Least active when acting as antagonist at both joints
Intermediately active when acting as agonist at one
joint and antagonist at the other
In this situation the muscle can contract close to
isometrically
How are bi-articular muscles helpful?

Capable of transferring force

between joints when isometrically
contracted (or close to)

Allow mono-articular muscles at one

joint (hip) to contribute to force
production around another joint
(knee)

Creates another mechanism by

which force production can be
distributed across many muscles
An example (cycling)
During the downstroke:
Mono-articular hip
extensors contract
Hip extends
Bi-articular quadriceps
contract isometrically
(probably not in reality)
Hip extensors now
contribute to knee
extension
May even contribute to
ankle plantarflexion if
gastrocnemius is rigid
Neuromuscular control: How can we
activate muscles efficiently?
For any given movement we have more muscular
degrees of freedom than necessary

So how do we decide which muscles to activate and

to what extent?

For triathlon: how do activate our muscles in the

most economical way?

An operating principle: Minimise total muscle activity

(across all muscles)
Neuromuscular control: How can we
minimise total muscle activity?
3 basic rules of muscle activation have been suggested
(Prilutsky, Motor Control, 2000)
Rule 1: Relatively more force is produced by muscles with
large moment arms.
Rule 2: Relatively more force is allocated to muscles with
a large physiological cross sectional area.
Rule 3: All muscles able to produce the desired joint
torque will be activated (synergistic action).

Using these three rules it is possible to predict the basic

pattern of muscle activation required for a number of
activities.
 An example (swimming)

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
Deltoid
20%
10% Biceps Brachii
0% Pectoralis Major
Synergy +Moment +PCSA
arms
A question to ponder: Why is running
more aerobically costly after cycling?
Running is the discipline most correlated with elite
Olympic distance triathlon success (Vleck et al, Int J Sports
Med, 2006)

Running after cycling IS more aerobically costly than

running alone

Hue et al, Eur J Appl Physiol, 1998

A question to ponder: Why is running
more aerobically costly after cycling?
For more information there is a series of papers by
Jason Bonacci

Other unresolved questions:

Does cycling induce fatigue in running-related muscles?

Do central pattern generators become entrained to the

cycling motor pattern?

Do changes in muscle tone or soft tissue properties

lead to changes in running kinematics?