To date a uniform set of standards for the kinesiology and measurement of the degree of flexibility of the human body are not available in Japan. In the methods of measurement of the suppleness of the human body, various distances and angles have been used separately as frames of reference. In the selection of angles for lateral observation on the human body, some investigators have set the standard point of reference at the major trochanter, while others have taken the anterior superior iliac spine as their standard point of reference.
In the present study, the lateral angle of the human body was measured using the anterior superior iliac spine and the major trochanter as the standard points. The values from the measurement of these two points were comparatively studied around the rotation of the pelvis. In 4 male and 4 female university students without joint abnormalities, measurement was carried out in 5 postures (1) normal (2) lordosis (3) flat back (4) flexion of the trunk (5) hyperextension of the trunk.
As the standard points for angle analysis, 4 points, the acromion, anterior superior iliac spine, the major trochanter, and the lateral malleolus were selected. As the angle to express each posture, the anterior angle of the acromion-anterior superior iliac spine-lateral malleolus and anterior angle of the acromion-major trochanter-lateral malleolus were measured.
For the observation of pelvic inclination, the internal angle of the anterior superior iliac spine-major trochanter and the lateral malleolus was measured. In order to analyze this, the range of fluctuation of the postural angle against pelvic inclination around the major trochanter and anterior superior iliac spine was calculated.
As a results, a small variance in the fluctuation of the values of measurement in each test subject would express a change of posture due to pelvic rotation. In each case, the use of the major trochanter gave a small unbiased variance.
In our experience, palpation of the major trochanter or anterior superior iliac spine especially in females revealed less resistance by the former. Consequently, based on these results, the use of the tip of the major trochanter appears to be more reasonable than the anterior superior iliac spine as a reference point for the observation of the human body from the lateral aspect.
It is proposed that the standard point should be placed on the center of the major movable joint to express the posture and other movement, in addition to the anterior superior iliac spine.

View full abstract

The effect of TTFD chiefly on muscle strength in athletes, mainly track and field, in training camp was examined. The double-blind method was used. The test group (T-group) was given 150mg/day of TTFD while the control group (P-group) was given 3mg/day of TTFD. The duration of administration was two weeks. The following results were obtained.
1) In the following test items, T-group (150mg/day) showed higher values than P-group (3mg/day) in a significant difference:
sargent test (morning) at 5% level
sargent test (evening) at 2.5% level
left grip strength (evening) at 5% level
right grip strength (morning) at 10% level
No significant differences were found in other test items.
2) In the P-group, difference between 2 week stage (non-treated period) and 4 week stage (treated period) was observed to have a trend for decline in the various test items. On the contrary, in the T-group, no decline was observed and a trend for a rise was found in all test items.
3) No adverse effects attributable to TTFD were noted with administration of 3mg/ day nor 150mg/day for 2 weeks.
4) The influence of administration of TTFD 150mg/day was discussed on effectiveness of training as shown by the increase of motor ability.

View full abstract

Investigations were carried out on atrophy of the supraspinatus and inf raspinatus muscles on the whip hand side of various athletes who severely stress the shoulder joints as well as basic studies on the mechanism of development of such muscular atrophy.
The following results were obtained.
1) Among the various sports investigated baseball and handball player and javelin throwers who habitually use an overhand throwing motion most frequently showed atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles. Its incidence was particularly high in baseball players and muscle atrophy is pronounced in a majority of such players, especially pitchers.
2) Analytical study of the complaints of those with muscular atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus revealed that the atrophy is most probaly caused by excessive irritation to the suprascapular nerve in a majority of cases. Suprascapular nerve blockade in the region of the suprascapular notch caused an alleviation or disappearance of most complaints.
3) Anatomical study of the suprascapular nerve confirmed that tension to the nerve occurs in the portion between the bifurcation of the brachial plexus and the suprascapular notch during movement of the shoulder joints. It was also confirmed that minor trauma to the nerve is possible at the region of the suprascapular notch when the suprascapular nerve is on the stretch.
4) Measurement of suprascapular nerve tension by setting the arm in autopsy materials in a motion necessary for ball throwing confirmed that the nerve tension is maximal in a condition immediately before the stride in an overhand pitch followed by the follow-through motion.
5) From the results of this study atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles in athletes using an overhand throwing motion is probably more common than suspected. It was inferred that the cause for this is the repeated infliction of minor trauma to the suprascapular nerve in the region of the suprascapular notch which gradually progresses to atrophy.

View full abstract

Some factors influencing the tension development of human muscles at the maximal exertion was analyzed in order to find out some desirable indicators of the characteristics of the voluntary exertion of muscle force.
1) The isometric tension development of the maximal exertion of hand-gripping and arm-bending was recorded simultaneously with the measurement of electromyogram, respiratory curve, electrocardiogram and reaction time. The subjects were all male and 22 to 61 years old.
2) The length of time needed to exert muscle force from 20 to 80% of each recorded maximal force exerted maximally was nearly constant so far as the interval and number of repetition was less than 5 sec and 30 respectively. The correlation coefficient between the standard deviation of the undulating descending curve of the decrease in maximal muscle force during repetition described above and that of this length of time from 20 to 80% definded here was +0.64.
3) The values of tan θ and tan ψ calculated from the (P_max-P) -log t relation were in some cases found to decrease during repetitive exertion under the same conditions as mentioned above, but the decrease was in most cases not so remarkable. The values of tan θ and tan ψ ranged from 0.1 to 0.2 (kg/msec) and from 0.3 to 0.5 (kg) respectively.
4) The maximal force of hand gripping was measured immediately after a conditioning exertion of force of various intensity (i.e.25, 50 and 75% of the maximal force of hand gripping exerted maximally by each subject prior to the measurement) . The tan ψ and tan θ were maximal when no conditioning was loaded, and they decreased with increasing intensity of conditioning exertion.
5) The tan θ of the test exertion of hand gripping exerted maximally was larger when a very short time of pause was interposed between the conditioning and the test exertion than that without conditioning exertion at all.
6) Both tan ψ and tan θ were larger when the condition exertion was done by antagonistic muscle of hand gripping than without conditioning exertion at all.
7) The maximal force of flexion of the one arm was not influenced by the simultaneous maximal exertion of flexion of the other arm.
8) When a constant time interval (i.e. 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 sec) was interposed between the time of beginning of the maintained maximal exertion of the one arm and that of the other arm, the decrease in the tension of the maximal flexion of the first arm due to the maximal flexion of the second arm was larger than that due to the maximal extension of the second arm. This decrease in tension was larger when the first arm was the left one than that when the first arm was the right one. This decrease in tension was also larger when the length of the time interval mentioned above was arbitrarily chosen by the subject than that when the time interval was prescribed.
On the basis of the results mentioned above, the characteristics of the voluntary exertion of muscle force was discussed.

View full abstract

The somatotyping which developed as a detailed method of classifying morphological characteristics by Sheldon and his collaborators was first improved by Cureton.
Later Sheldon and Cureton's topologies were introduced to Japan, and these classifications of constitutional types were checked and correlated with athletic performance by many followers in this country.
Retaining the fact that the various body tissues are derived from the particular embryonic layers, the anther developed a new procedure of determining physical types of athletes in each event. The auther did not adopt Sheldon's procedure in which the somatotype is represented as a point in space at an appropriate position in a regular triangle by means of three dimensional and orthogonal coodinates. The auther drew three straight lines out from a center point forming open angles of 120 degrees, and then another showing a somatotype by arrangement of the three components (muscle, skeletal structure, adipose tissue) on the three lines. The average positions of the subjects in each axis are respectively the same distance from the intersection and the scales in each axis are indicated by sigma units.
The results were as follows :
1) Athletes of such sports events as middle weight Judo (men), light weight Judo (men) and throwing events (men) have showed higher values in the three dimensions of the triangular scheme method than the mean for 293 Japanese athletic prospects including participants in the Olympics that the auther selected as the control group in this study. They formed an enlarged regular triangle in the triangular scheme method developed by the auther (Fig. 10) .
2) Athletes of jumping events (men), sprinting events (men) and volleyball players (men) were below average in all dimensions and their triangles were thus smaller regular triangles (Fig. 11) .
3) Since the rating of the skeletal structures of figure-skaters (both men and women), athletes of throwing events (women) and marathon races (men) were above average, and since the rating of their muscles and adipose tissues were below average, their triangles assumed the shape of scalene triangles (Fig. 4-8) .
Ogawa placed the figure-skaters, who were short and lightweight, in the ectomorphy category of Sheldon's classification in agreement with my own data.
4) Because the rating of adipose tissue for goal-keepers and forewards in ice-hockey (men) were quite high, their triangles assumed the opposite shape to that of the figure-skaters (Fig. 9) .
5) Athletes in hurdle events (women) and middle distance events (women) had a high rating in only one component and thus their triangles were isosceles triangles (Fig. 12) .

View full abstract