A physiological review of American football.

American football has been one of the most popular sports in North America within the past century and has recently received support and increased participation from European nations. Two of the biggest concerns regarding participation in American football are the high incidence of injury and the physical demand for preparation. A basic understanding of the physiological systems utilised in the sport of football is necessary in order to develop optimal training programmes geared specifically for preparation as well as the requirements of individual field positions.

Mechanical efficiency of the elbow flexors in rowing.

Biomechanical and especially kinesiological investigations of the mechanical efficiency of rowers are rarely found in today's literature. The coach frequently relates to skills or technical movements in terms of their aesthetic appearance rather than their mechanical effectiveness. The force output of the elbow flexors appears to be a function of the forearm position.

Force analysis of the rowing stroke employing two differing oar grips.

The velocity of the rowing boat appears to depend on the force which the athlete applies at the handle of the oar. Although force is generated by legs, upper body, and arms, the latter are the only limbs which actually transmit and apply the force against the oar. The force output of the arms seem to be a function of the forearm position used by the athlete while gripping the oar.

Technique and muscle force.

In the sport of rowing, as may be the case in other sports, the coach frequently tends to relate to skills or technical movement in terms of their aesthetic appearance rather than to their kinesiological requirements, or muscular effectiveness. Maximal isometric strength was tested (N = 18) in three components of the rowing stroke: height of sagittal pull; angle of pull in sagittal plane; and the power position in both the catch and the finish. The results of this investigation suggest that certain technical parameters commonly utilized by rowing coaches seem to be less efficient when discussing muscular effectiveness.