Go to:
Logótipo
Você está em: Start > PDCD027

Motor Economy and Efficiency of the Human Movement

Code: PDCD027     Acronym: CD-EF

Keywords
Classification Keyword
OFICIAL Sports Sciences

Instance: 2022/2023 - SP

Active? Yes
Course/CS Responsible: Sport Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym No. of Students Study Plan Curricular Years Credits UCN Credits ECTS Contact hours Total Time
PDCD 0 Plano em vigor a partir de 2009 1 - 5 45 135

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Students will understand the locomotor meaning of the economic movement for all levels of performance. They will also be able of relating the concept of economy of movement with the one of energy cost and energy expenditure of locomotion, efficiency of th energy transfer and dissipative work. Students will be equally able of assessing the energy cost of a particular motor task, and understand the constraints associated to energy availability to perform work and to the resistances to overcome (internal or external).

Learning outcomes and competences

The contents of the Curricular Unit directly converge to the accomplishment of the Curricular Unit purposes, once they are centered on the conceptual and practical development of the biophysical parameters and procedures to be mastered, and the methods required for its evaluation and advanced research.

Working method

Presencial

Program


  1. The Human being as a natural cybernetic machine

  2. Work, energy and power

  3. Laws of Thermodynamics. Energy conservation and entropy

  4. Energetical efficiency: different levels of analysis of energetic efficiency in biological systems.

  5. Energy expenditure and energy cost: the concept of economy

  6. Economy, efficiency, and locomotion motor performance

  7. Evaluation of the energy input and output of the biomechnical system (evaluation of the potential energy, anaerobic and aerobic energy, and internal and external mechanical work)

Mandatory literature

Pietro Enrico di Prampero; La^locomozione umana su terra, in acqua, in aria. ISBN: 978-88-7051-476-6
Giovanni Cavagna; Physiological aspects of legged terrestrial locomotion. ISBN: 978-3-319-49979-6

Complementary Bibliography

ROBERT W. BLAKE; Efficiency and economy in animal physiology, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1991
Enoka Roger M.; Neuromechanics of human movement. ISBN: 0-7360-0251-0
Nigg Benno 340; Biomechanics and biology of movement. ISBN: 0-7360-0331-2
Winter David A.; Biomechanics and motor control of human movement. ISBN: 0-471-44989-X

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical/expositive teaching with resolution of problems based on students’ autonomous work. If needed, laboratorial based teaching for the application of the theoretical concepts, and interpretation of the observed results.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito 100,00
Total: 100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo 60,00
Frequência das aulas 15,00
Trabalho escrito 60,00
Total: 135,00

Eligibility for exams

 





Attendance at a minimum number of practical classes, in accordance with the law




Calculation formula of final grade

 

 





Classification obtained in the final written work.




Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Final written work

Classification improvement

 

 





Final written work




Recommend this page Top
Copyright 1996-2025 © Faculdade de Desporto da Universidade do Porto  I Terms and Conditions  I Acessibility  I Index A-Z
Page created on: 2025-12-07 at 06:40:44 | Privacy Policy | Personal Data Protection Policy | Whistleblowing | Electronic Yellow Book