Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement

Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement, Third Edition, introduces readers to key concepts concerning the anatomical, mechanical, physiological, neural, and psychological bases of human movement. The text provides undergraduate students with a broad foundation for more detailed study of the subdisciplines of human movement and for cross-disciplinary studies. Readers will learn the multi-dimensional changes in movement and movement potential that occur throughout the life span as well as those changes that occur as adaptations to training, practice, and other lifestyle factors.

This third edition includes the latest research and improved presentation to address areas of growth and change in the fields of human movement. The following are important updates to this edition:

• A new chapter on historical origins of human movement science provides students with an appreciation of the development of the field as well as its future directions.
• Content regarding exercise physiology has been reorganized to provide more discrete coverage of key concepts in nutrition.
• A new concluding section focuses on applications in the areas of prevention and management of chronic disease, prevention and management of injury, and performance enhancement in sport and the workplace, as well as the benefits of sport and exercise science to work, sport, and everyday living.
• Ancillary materials support instructors in teaching across disciplines as they assist students in understanding the breadth of content in this comprehensive text.

Using a modular approach to teaching sport and exercise science, Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement, Third Edition, offers students a structured understanding of how the subdisciplines work independently and in tandem. Following a general introduction to the field of human movement studies, readers are introduced to basic concepts, life-span changes, and adaptations arising in response to training in each of the five major biophysical subdisciplines of human movement. Each subdiscipline is given a brief introduction, including the definition and historical development of the subdiscipline, the typical issues and problems it addresses, the levels of analysis it uses, and relevant professional training and organizations. Multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches to human movement are also discussed along with contemporary applications. By studying the integration of knowledge from a number of the biophysical subdisciplines, students will be better prepared for advanced study and careers reliant on the integration of knowledge from various disciplines and perspectives.

The third edition of Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement offers a comprehensive introduction for students, scientists, and practitioners involved in the many professions grounded in or related to human movement, kinesiology, and sport and exercise science. By considering the effect of adaptations in each of the biophysical subdisciplines of human movement, Biophysical Foundations of Human Movement also illustrates the important role physical activity plays in the maintenance of health throughout the life span.

Bruce Abernethy, PhD, is professor of human movement science in the School of Human Movement Studies and deputy executive dean and associate dean (research) in the faculty of health sciences at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. He also holds a visiting professor appointment at the University of Hong Kong, where he was previously the inaugural chair professor and director of the Institute of Human Performance. He is also coeditor of Creative Side of Experimentation. He is an international fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology (USA), a fellow of Sports Medicine Australia, and a fellow of Exercise and Sports Science Australia.

Stephanie J. Hanrahan, PhD, is a registered sport psychologist and an associate professor in the Schools of Human Movement Studies and Psychology at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Hanrahan has over 20 years of experience in teaching human movement studies at the undergraduate level. In addition to being part of the author team for the first two editions, Hanrahan has authored or edited nine other books. Hanrahan is a fellow of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation and a fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, for which she is chair of the organization’s International Relations Division. Hanrahan serves on the national executive committee of the College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists in the Australian Psychological Society. 

Vaughan Kippers, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland. He coordinates anatomy courses for students enrolled in medicine, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy programs. His major research involves the use of electromyography, in which the electrical signals produced by muscles as they contract are analyzed to determine muscular control of human movement. Kippers is a fellow of the International Association of Medical Science Educators and is on the board of directors of that association. He is also secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists.

Marcus G. Pandy, PhD, is a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Pandy earned his PhD in mechanical engineering at Ohio State University in Columbus and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in mechanical engineering at Stanford University. Before joining the University of Melbourne, he held the Joe J. King professorship in engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Pandy is an associate editor for the Journal of Biomechanics and a fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Ali McManus, PhD, is an associate professor and assistant director of the Institute of Human Performance at the University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on the role exercise and free-living physical activity play in the health and well-being of children, the development of population measures of obesity and its associated health risks, and the provision of a more comprehensive understanding of the complex metabolic bases of exercise and physical activity in obese children. 

Laurel T. Mackinnon, PhD, is a former associate professor and now adjunct associate professor in the School of Human Movement Studies at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. Mackinnon conducted research on the immune response to exercise in the 1980s and 1990s and is internationally recognized for her work on overtraining and immune function in athletes. She is the author of 6 books and 12 book chapters, including Exercise and Immunology (Human Kinetics, 1992), the first book to explore the intriguing relationship between exercise and immune response. She has published over 65 peer-reviewed articles in international journals. Mackinnon has worked since 2000 as a science writer and editor.