| Author: | Ng, Chu-kei Richy |
| Title: | Biomechanical analysis of human motion on a horse-riding machine |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations. Horsemanship -- Physiological aspects. Horsemanship -- Therapeutic use. Human mechanics -- Analysis. Human locomotion -- Measurement. |
| Department: | Department of Rehabilitation Sciences |
| Pages: | vii, 83 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Objective: Horse-riding machine is becoming more popular in recent years. It has been claimed that the machine helps to build physical strength and endurance, improve motor function as well as blood circulation (Matsushita Electric Industrial Corporate Limited, 2006). However, the immediate effect for the rider on a horse-riding machine is the exposure to whole body vibration. A previous study (Schwarze S, Notbohm G, Dupuis H, et al, 1998) has shown that whole body vibration is a health hazard to the lumbar spine. In this study, the 2D motion characteristics of Panasonic JOBA machine will be examined. The human's biomechanical and physiological response, such as the trunk motion, muscles activities and changes in heart rate, to horse-riding motion will also be studied. Methodology: Ten male subjects participated in this research study. All of them had completed the trunk motion analysis component in which the trunk motion in the X-axis (A-P direction) and Y-axis (lateral direction) in response to the JOBA riding machine motion was measured with accelerometers. The motion signals of both the horse-riding machine and the riding subjects were analysed. The motion pattern, frequency, peak-to-peak displacement amplitudes, total displacement, acceleration, estimated vibration dose values and transmissibility were obtained and discussed. Secondly, the abdominal and back muscles EMG activities during riding exercises among 8 subjects were measured. Their corresponding EMG activities during arching-back and sitting-up exercises were also measured as references for comparison. Finally, the minute heart rate profiles of 9 subjects when riding on the horse-riding machine and a Monark bike at different riding intensity were examined and compared. Results: The motion pattern of the JOBA was sinusoidal in nature with mean frequency from the slowest to the fastest riding speed levels in the range of 0.59 to 1.30 Hz and 0.29 to 0.65 Hz in the X-axis and Y-axis respectively. The estimated vibration dose values for the JOBA motion at the X-axis when riding at the fastest speed level for a 10-minutes pre-set riding duration was 18.2ms-1.75 which was already over the exposure limit boundary as recommended by the ISO 2631-1 standard. The overall transmissibility obtained was in the range of 0.23 to 0.96 in the X-axis and 0.29 to 1.41 in the Y-axis. The paired t-test result of EMG showed that significant trunk muscle activities (p<0.016) during JOBA riding exercise were only seen on the back muscles at the medium riding speed levels. The paired t-test result of heart rate response showed that there was no significant increase in heart rate (p>0.016) during JOBA riding exercise at the slowest, medium and fastest riding speed levels. Conclusion: Performing horse-riding exercise on the JOBA will induce Whole-body Vibration (WBV) onto the riders. The estimated vibration dose induced was time dependent. According to the results, it was recommended the riding time for the fastest speed level to be limited to below 4 minutes so that it was within the exposure limit dose of 15 ms-1.75 as references to the ISO 2631-1 standard. The EMG activities and heart rate changes during this kind of exercises are not obvious when compared to arching-back, sitting-up exercises and cycling exercises. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b22765025.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 6.16 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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