Kin 535 – Muscle Mechanics and Modelling 3 credits Fall, 2010
Prerequisites: Kinesiology 430 or equivalent (Biomechanics of Human Motion)
Facility with producing graphs with spreadsheet software (e.g. MS Excel)
Day and time: Tuesday and Thursday 2:30 – 3:45 Totman 156
Instructor: Dr. Graham E. Caldwell
Office: Totman 105 Telephone: 545-0017
gc@kin.umass.edu
Office Hours: TBA or by scheduled appointment*****
Readings: To be distributed throughout the term. In most cases distribution will be in the form of .PDF files that can be downloaded from the course website:
http://courses.umass.edu/kin535
Information: Up-to-date class news will be available on the Kin 535 Blog:
https://websites.umass.edu/kin535
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The students should gain the ability to:
1) understand the concept of mechanical properties of human muscle, and be able to evaluate the contributions of these properties to human movement patterns.
2) understand the basic research methods used to describe these properties.
3) understand the role of modelling in explaining muscular properties, and in the
explanation of segmental motion patterns.
COURSE FORMAT
Lectures with discussion will be the basic course format. The student will be assigned associated readings each week to supplement the lecture material. It is imperative that students read the material and come to class prepared to discuss the content. Another important part of the course will be laboratory experiences using a computer model of muscle.
COURSE EVALUATION
Each student will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1) Presentations / assignments 2) Laboratory write-ups
3) Class participation 4) Final Exam
Recommended Texts
Epstein, M. and W. Herzog. Theoretical models of skeletal muscle, Wiley & Sons, NY, 1998.
Hill, A.V. First and Last Experiments in Muscle Mechanics, Cambridge University Press, London, 1970.
Lieber, R.L. Skeletal Muscle Structure and Function: Implications for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Williams & Wilkins, 1992.
Loeb, G.E. and C. Gans. Electromyography for Experimentalists, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1986.
McMahon, T.A. Muscles, Reflexes, and Locomotion, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1984.
Robertson et al., Research Methods in Biomechanics, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004.
Wilkie, D.R. Muscle, Edward Arnold Press, London, 1968.
Winters, J.M. and S.L. Woo. Multiple Muscle Systems, Springer-Verlag, London, 1990.