Explain how eccentric muscle contractions function during landing from a jump. (4 marks)
--- 12 WORK AREA LINES (style=lined) ---
Show Answers Only
Sample Answer
- During landing, muscles lengthen while contracting to control joint movement. This occurs because the body must decelerate safely from gravitational forces.
- In the quadriceps, eccentric contraction controls knee flexion. As a result, the knee bends gradually rather than collapsing suddenly. Similarly, gastrocnemius and soleus undergo eccentric contraction to control ankle dorsiflexion.
- These contractions function as biological shock absorbers. Consequently, landing forces are spread over time rather than creating sudden impact. The reason eccentric contractions are effective is they can manage forces up to 40% greater than concentric contractions.
- Therefore, eccentric contractions during landing enable safe deceleration by controlling joint movement against gravity.
Show Worked Solution
Sample Answer
- During landing, muscles lengthen while contracting to control joint movement. This occurs because the body must decelerate safely from gravitational forces.
- In the quadriceps, eccentric contraction controls knee flexion. As a result, the knee bends gradually rather than collapsing suddenly. Similarly, gastrocnemius and soleus undergo eccentric contraction to control ankle dorsiflexion.
- These contractions function as biological shock absorbers. Consequently, landing forces are spread over time rather than creating sudden impact. The reason eccentric contractions are effective is they can manage forces up to 40% greater than concentric contractions.
- Therefore, eccentric contractions during landing enable safe deceleration by controlling joint movement against gravity.