Ergonomics in Sport and Physical Activity

Ergonomics in Sport and Physical Activity: Enhancing Performance and Improving Safety is the first text to provide an in-depth discussion of how the principles of ergonomics can be applied in the context of sport and other physical activities to reduce injury and improve performance. The textblends concepts from biomechanics, physiology, and psychology as it shows how ergonomics is applied to physical activity.

This comprehensive text outlines methods for assessing risk in and procedures for dealing with stress, eliminating hazards, and evaluating challenges posed in specific work or sport environments. It discusses issues such as the design of effective equipment, clothing, and playing surfaces; methods of assessing risk in situations; and staying within appropriate training levels to reduce fatigue and avoid overtraining. The text not only examines sport ergonomics but also discusses ergonomic considerations for physically active special populations.

Ergonomics in Sport and Physical Activity explains what ergonomics is, how ergonomists solve practical problems in the workplace, and how principles of ergonomics are applied in the context of sport and other physical activities when solving practical problems related to human characteristics and capabilities. The text shows readers how to improve performance, achieve optimal efficiency, enhance comfort, and reduce injuries by exploring topics such as these:

Essential concepts, terms, and principles of ergonomics and how these relate to physical activity Physical properties of the body and the factors limiting performance Interactions between the individual, the task, and the environment Injury risk factors in relation to body mechanics in various physical activities Injury prevention and individual protection in the review of sports equipment and sports environments Comfort, efficiency, safety, and details of systems criteria in equipment design.

This research-based text uses numerous practical examples, figures, charts, and graphs to bring the material to life. In addition, descriptions of technological advances show where we have been and how technology has advanced the field. Through the book’s discussion of the various stressors and adaptive mechanisms, readers will learn how to cope with various environmental conditions. They will also learn how various training modes can be used to alter sport-specific capabilities and enhance performance.

Presenting a wide range of approaches, theoretical models, and analytical techniques, Ergonomics in Sport and Physical Activity: Enhancing Performance and Improving Safety illustrates the potential for ergonomics to be extended across recreation, competitive sport, and physically active work environments. Bridging the gap between ergonomics and exercise science, this unique text will assist both health care and exercise professionals in developing an improved awareness of how human capabilities are best matched to physical activities.

Thomas Reilly, PhD, DSc, FErgS, FIBiol, was a professor of sport science in the Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Reilly’s research focused on the field of sport ergonomics. He conducted research for a wide range of companies and organizations, including GlaxoSmithKline, Mars, the Football Association, the International Olympic Committee, Health and Safety Executive, the European Commission, and various professional soccer clubs and equipment manufacturers. In 2008, Reilly and his research team were awarded the President’s Medal from the Ergonomics Society.

 Reilly was a founding member of the European College of Sport Science, established in 1996. He was also a founding member of the Society of Sports Science, which became the British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences. He was a fellow of the Ergonomics Society, the Institute of Biology, the European College of Sport Science, and the British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences. Reilly was the founding editor of the Journal of Sports Sciences, holding this position from 1982 to 1997. He served as an editor for special issues in sport ergonomics for the Journal of Applied Ergonomics and Ergonomics.

 From 1992 to 2005, he was the chair of the Exercise Physiology Steering Group of the British Olympic Association. Reilly also served as chair of the British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences from 1994 to 1996 and as chair of the Scientific Committee of the European College of Sport Science from 2003 to 2008.

 Tom Reilly passed away on June 11, 2009, as this book was nearing publication.

“The book shines. I have not found any other book that interweaves two concepts [sport science and ergonomics] so successfully.”

—Doody’s Book Review (5-star review)