This assignment will be researching in detail the exercise movement of a Jab in Boxing and will be reflecting upon the bones, joints and muscles used to perform that activity.
Task one
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory and autoimmune disease. It is a systemic disorder where inflammatory changes not only affect synovial joints but also many other spots including the heart, blood vessels and skin.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is more common in females than males and can affect all ages although it usually develops between the ages of 35 and 55. The joints most commonly affected are those of the hands and feet, but in severe cases, most of the synovial joints may be involved. With each feverish exacerbation there is additional and increasing damage to the joints, leading to increasing deformity, pain and loss of function.
All of these symptoms affect participation in certain sports and exercises, especially when those exercises include constant exploitation of the hands and feet.
Figure 1.1
This diagram shows the carpal tunnel and synovial sheaths in the wrist and hand in green and the tendons in white. (A. Waugh, Anatomy and physiology in health and illness, page 420)
In the severe later stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis the disease can progress to form irreversible secondary changes such as the fibrosis of pannus which causes adhesions between the bones and therefore limits movement. Also the ossification of the fibrosed pannus occurs, further restricting movement.
These irreversible changes caused by the Arthritis can affect all sorts of exercises. For example, any racket sports, such as tennis, as you’re hands play a vital role in tennis and if you’re hand has restricted movement then it hinders your ability to play or play well at the least.
The amount of exercise participation taken part depends on the severity of the disease. In severe cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis then most exercises are prohibited as just everyday activities become difficult such as walking up stairs and gripping general household items.
However, if the Arthritis is less severe then participation in some sports is achievable. More appropriate exercises are sports such as swimming and mild cycling as these do not put so much direct force on the affected joints. Other exercises such as sit-ups are also possible by sufferers of the disease.
There are some steps a Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) sufferer can do if they are going to be exercising. One of which is applying ice or heat to the area that you will be exercising. Another way to try and reduce the pain of RA during exercise is to wear comfortable clothes and shoes to make the exercise less painful.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition of increased skeletal fragility that can affect people of any age and of either sex although lowered estrogen levels after menopause are associated with bone loss in women. Therefore bone density in women in less than in men for any given age. As bone mass decreases, susceptibility to fractures increases.
Common features of osteoporosis are skeletal deformity- gradual loss of height with age, which is caused by compression of vertebrae. Bone pain and fractures – especially of the hip (neck of femur), wrist (Colles fracture) and vertebrae. (A. Waugh, 2001, Anatomy & Physiology, page 409).
In later life, the strength of bone depends on two factors – the peak strength of bone achieved in early adulthood and subsequent age-related and hormone deficiency-related bone loss. In people with osteoporosis, bones can fracture with strain, such as a fall, that would normally be withstood by the skeleton. Osteoporosis causes the bone to lose density, as can be seen in figure 1.2; there is a clear difference between a normal bone and a bone with Osteoporosis. The normal bone has a higher density than the osteoporosis bone as the osteoporosis bone is more porous.
Figure 1.2 – Diagram to show comparison of normal and osteoporosis bone.
(http://yourmedicalsource.com/library/osteoporosis/OSP_whatis.html)
This could truly affect the participation of sport as the bones are constantly taking punishment in most sports and exercises. Physical activities that involve twisting, bending, or high impact can be dangerous for those already diagnosed with low bone density. Sports such as golf, tennis, bowling and aerobics, basketball and jogging may do more harm than good.
This is because athletes involved in sports and training where forces applied to the limbs are in excess of 10 times body weight (gymnastics, weightlifting and volleyball) have been found to have higher BMD than those involved in sports where forces are only in the range of 5-10 times body weight, such as endurance running. ()
There is general agreement that weight bearing exercise is very helpful in increasing bone density, however this stresses only the lower body. Current research indicates that strength training also can increase bone density, as well as improve balance, mobility and flexibility. It would be best for people to begin strength training long before their bones started to thin.
Other factors which contribute to a loss of bone density include smoking, caffeine and inadequate or inappropriate diet.
Just like muscles bones adapt to the stresses placed on them and the increased blood flow associated with exercise helps to transport vital nutrients to bones. The recommends two types of exercises for building and maintaining bone mass and density. The first being some sort of weight bewaring exercise and the second being resistance exercise.
People with osteoporosis can still do exercises to help gain a denser bone mass. Sports such as walking, stair climbing and hiking because in these exercises your bones and muscles are working against gravity as well. Also exercises such as weight lifting and push-ups are good as they require you to overcome resistance which improves muscle mass and strengthen bone.
Both Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis mainly affect adult women and, with women’s participation in sport growing each year, could be major problems to women because these diseases don’t just limit participation, in severe cases they stop any participation occurring at all.
Task 2
The Jab
The jab to the head is the most important punch in boxing. Not only is it the chief point scorer but it creates opening for the rear hand. It is therefore useful to know what muscles are used to accomplish the jab. The jab consists of 3 major stages and uses a variety of muscles, bones and joints for it to be executed properly. Figure 1.3 shows the muscles and joints used when performing the Jab in Boxing and Figure 1.4 shows the bones used on those joints.
Figure1.3 – Table to show the involvement and action of muscles and joints
Figure 1.4 – Table to show the bones used in reference to joint
Stage 1
The first stage is the initial movement where the left arm snaps away from the shoulder in a straight line towards the target. This movement in the elbow joint is called extension. Extension means straightening or stretching out. The bones used in this movement are the Scapula, Humerus, Radius, Ulna and carpel bones as shown in Figure 1.4
The muscles used in this stage are the triceps (Agonist), which contacts as the arm moves away from the body, and the bicep (Antagonist). It is an isotonic contraction as there is movement.
The Elbow joint is used as shown in Figure 1.3. It is a hinge joint which means it allows flexion and extension only. Also there is a quarter turn (rotation) in the shoulders to maximize power. However, this is not rotation of the shoulder joint; it is rotation of both shoulders in the whole upper body. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint which means the head, or ball of one bone articulates with a socket of another and the shape of the bone allows for a wide range of movements.
Additionally as the left arm is encouraged forwards the trailing right leg moves as the boxer raises his/her right heel to maximize power behind the punch. The muscles used to achieve this movement are the gastrocnemius and the soleus.
Stage 2
The second stage is when just before the glove/fist strikes the target, the hand is rotated so that the palm is facing down. This is called Pronation. The carpi radialis and the carpi ulnaris are used to create this movement.
Figure 1.5 shows how the fist should face down.
Figure 1.5 – stage 2
Stage 3
The third and final stage of the Jab is the return in a straight line to the guard position it started in. In this movement it is the bicep which is the agonist and the triceps which is the antagonist. Flexion takes place here as it is folding the arm back towards the body. Figure 1.6 shows how the arm should look when it is returned to the guard position.
Figure 1.6 – Stage 3
Figure 1.7 shows the different stages a boxer goes through in the jab. The muscles that will be concentrated on most will be the bicep, brachialis and the triceps around the elbow joint of the initial straightening movement of the jab.
In the Elbow joint, as the arm snaps away, the triceps is the agonist and the bicep the antagonist. The triceps origin is proximal 1/3 of posterolateral aspect of the humerus. Its insertion is the olecranon process of the ulna and it gets its blood supply from the posterior humeral circumflex and the profundus branch of the brachial. (W. Wirhed, 1990)
Figure 1.7 – Diagram
The Fixator is another muscle which contributes to the action of the principal muscle. The Fixators when doing a jab are shown in Figure 1.8
Figure 1.8 – Table to show the Fixators from a boxing jab
These Fixators are just part of the whole process involved in movement. The skeletal and muscular system work in harmony to produce movement but there is a lot more details which have not been discussed which also contribute to movement such as the brain and nervous system. Movement is an element of our body which we take for granted and a lot of people don’t realize that if just one component is not working properly or is diseased then it effects the entire movement.
References
Books
Blakey, Paul, The muscle book, Bibliotek Books, UK, 1992
Walther, David, Applied Kinesiology, Systems DC, Pueblo, Colorado, 1981
Waugh, Anne and Grant, Alison, Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness, Ninth edition, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, UK, 2001
Wirhed, Rolf, Athletic Ability and the Anatomy of Motion, Wolfe Medical Publications, London, 1990
Hickey, Kevin, Know the Game Boxing, A & C Black Ltd, London, UK, 2004
Websites
http://www.yourmedicalsource.com/library/osteoporosis/OSP_whatis.html
Other Resources
S. Monaghan, A-Level notes, 2003
Rafe Elliot, Lecture notes & Personal Communication, 2004