Concepts in HMS 1st YEAR optional course

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HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCES: Sport, Exercise and Health (Research)

English

6 ECTS

The student is able to report the key behavioral concepts in contemporary HMS, to apply these concepts in describing research outcomes, and to judge the (dis)advantages of using a particular concept in a particular situation.

The student knows the mechanical concepts that apply to control of joint position and movement, in particular equilibrium, stability, robustness, performance, and observability. The student understands these concepts and can explain how they are related to clinical problems and to motor control in patients with joint disorders. The student knows the physiological concepts of exercise intensity and workload in sports and clinical research and training, in particular, (sub-) maximal force/power generation, (sub)maximal energy expenditure, anaerobic threshold and critical power. The student understands these concepts and can explain how they are related to sports and rehabilitation research and practice.

Course Description & Study Characteristics

Course Description

In this course, the students are acquainted with biophysical and behavioural concepts that underlie current debates in HMS. One part of this course deals with behavioural concepts of HMS. Human movement is a complex behavior. To interpret this complex behavior, the scientific literature uses concepts that are rather complex themselves. Examples of such concepts are information, stability, synergy, internal representation and motor programs. In this course, questions such as "What do these concepts mean exactly?" and "How do these concepts help us to understand the behavior we observe?" will be addressed. A second part of the course deals with biomechanical concepts in particular with (in-)stability of joints and joint movement. Instability is often used in the clinical setting to describe the state of the joint after injury or in degenerative disorders. The term is often poorly defined, which leads to confusion in the communication between disciplines, e.g. between physiotherapists and orthopedic surgeons. Mechanics and control theory provide a rigorous framework for describing joint function. The relevance of this conceptual framework for the clinical context and the implications for diagnosis and treatment will be discussed. A third part of the course deals with physiological concepts in particular with the use of exercise intensity, relative workload and critical power. Relative workload is often used to induce similar loading of persons in sports and clinical studies, either to measure endurance or to induce a certain training stimulus. Relative workloads as percentage of maximal force/power or energy utilization (oxygen uptake) are used in various circumstances. While the choice for a given variable is essential for the result, it will be discussed whether the proper variables are chosen for the specific goals.

Study Characteristics

Discipline: HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCES: Sport, Exercise and Health (Research)
Type of education: Lectures
Academic skill: N/A
Graduate School: N/A
Start date: TBD
End date: TBD
Minimum number of students: N/A
Maximum number of students: N/A
Admission criteria: Contact the course coordinator for information on admission criteria: Prof. Dr. T.W.J. Janssen
Concluding assessment: N/A
Assessment type: N/A
With Certificate: N/A
Schedule info: 45 contact hours, divided in: Lectures 21 * 2 hours; Exam 3 hours;
115 hours self study;
The course consists of 3 series of 7 lectures dealing with biomechanical, physiological, and behavioural concepts respectively. In the first lecture of each series a general introduction will be given. In subsequent lectures, the formal concepts will be introduced and explained and related to the applications in sports and health. In the 7th lecture of each series, questions by the students will be discussed.
Number of lessons: 21 lectures
Total course duration in hrs.: 160 hours
Sign up period: N/A
Anticipated hrs of study: 115 hours self study
Available to: PhD students VU (and VU RMA students)

Course Description & Study Characteristics
Course Description

In this course, the students are acquainted with biophysical and behavioural concepts that underlie current debates in HMS. One part of this course deals with behavioural concepts of HMS. Human movement is a complex behavior. To interpret this complex behavior, the scientific literature uses concepts that are rather complex themselves. Examples of such concepts are information, stability, synergy, internal representation and motor programs. In this course, questions such as "What do these concepts mean exactly?" and "How do these concepts help us to understand the behavior we observe?" will be addressed. A second part of the course deals with biomechanical concepts in particular with (in-)stability of joints and joint movement. Instability is often used in the clinical setting to describe the state of the joint after injury or in degenerative disorders. The term is often poorly defined, which leads to confusion in the communication between disciplines, e.g. between physiotherapists and orthopedic surgeons. Mechanics and control theory provide a rigorous framework for describing joint function. The relevance of this conceptual framework for the clinical context and the implications for diagnosis and treatment will be discussed. A third part of the course deals with physiological concepts in particular with the use of exercise intensity, relative workload and critical power. Relative workload is often used to induce similar loading of persons in sports and clinical studies, either to measure endurance or to induce a certain training stimulus. Relative workloads as percentage of maximal force/power or energy utilization (oxygen uptake) are used in various circumstances. While the choice for a given variable is essential for the result, it will be discussed whether the proper variables are chosen for the specific goals.

Study Characteristics
Discipline: HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCES: Sport, Exercise and Health (Research)

Type of education: Lectures

Academic skill: N/A

Graduate School: N/A

Start date: TBD

End date: TBD

Minimum number of students: N/A

Maximum number of students: N/A

Admission criteria: Contact the course coordinator for information on admission criteria: Prof. Dr. T.W.J. Janssen

Concluding assessment: N/A

Assessment type: N/A

With Certificate: N/A

Schedule info: 45 contact hours, divided in: Lectures 21 * 2 hours; Exam 3 hours;
115 hours self study;
The course consists of 3 series of 7 lectures dealing with biomechanical, physiological, and behavioural concepts respectively. In the first lecture of each series a general introduction will be given. In subsequent lectures, the formal concepts will be introduced and explained and related to the applications in sports and health. In the 7th lecture of each series, questions by the students will be discussed.

Number of lessons: 21 lectures

Total course duration in hrs.: 160 hours

Sign up period: N/A

Anticipated hrs of study: 115 hours self study

Available to: PhD students VU (and VU RMA students)

Please contact the course coordinator prof. dr. T.W.J. Janssen:

t.w.j2.janssen@vu.nl

Concepts in HMS 1st YEAR optional course

Prof. Dr. T.W.J. Janssen

Prof. Dr. T.W.J. Janssen

Course Description & Study Characteristics

Study Characteristics

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