Modelling of Strength Training

Description

Strength training is used to enhance sport performance, to prevent injuries or is used in a rehabilitation process, e.g. of an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. For a positive adaptation of a certain muscle, e.g. quadriceps, specific loading conditions are required. There are many exercises and a variety of execution possibilities for training a muscle or muscle group, leading to different loading conditions. Due to the fact that muscle forces, joint contact forces and joint moments are virtually unknown for nearly all strength training exercises and their various executions as well as that to date direct measurement of muscle forces is not possible, musculoskeletal modelling is necessary. In this project, muscle activities and muscle forces of the lower extremities with a focus to a rehabilitation process of an anterior cruciate ligament rupture will be modelled using kinematic and kinetic data gathered by motion capture systems. The loading conditions will be analysed by the musculoskeletal modulation software OpenSim by SimTK.

Goal

Aim 1 is the comparison of state of the art modelling with a subject specific model based on functionally determined joint centres and axes of rotation.

Aim 2 contains a subject specific modelling of muscle forces in the lower extremities during variations of strength training exercises.

Aim 3 is to use the musculoskeletal model to define possible exercises and to verify the modelled muscle activities in a pilot study.