Applying the Skeletal and Muscular Systems to Sport

This lesson is an integration lesson that brings together everything you have learned about the skeletal and muscular systems for the OCR GCSE PE specification (J587). You will practise analysing sporting movements by identifying the bones, joints, muscles, movements, antagonistic pairs, muscle roles, and contraction types involved. This is exactly the kind of analysis required in the exam.

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The Analysis Framework

When analysing any sporting movement, you should work through the following steps:

flowchart TD
    A["Identify the sporting action"] --> B["Identify the joint(s) involved"]
    B --> C["Identify the type of joint"]
    C --> D["Identify the movement(s) occurring"]
    D --> E["Identify the agonist and antagonist"]
    E --> F["Identify the fixator (if relevant)"]
    F --> G["Identify the type of contraction"]

    style A fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
    style D fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style G fill:#27ae60,color:#fff

Exam Tip: For extended-response questions (e.g., 6-mark questions), you should aim to cover all of these elements. A structured, step-by-step analysis will earn full marks.

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Worked Example 1: Kicking a Football

The Action

A footballer kicking a ball involves multiple phases. The main action occurs at the knee joint (extension of the lower leg to strike the ball).

Full Analysis

Element	Detail
Joint	Knee
Type of joint	Hinge
Bones	Femur, tibia, patella
Movement	Extension (straightening the leg to kick)
Agonist	Quadriceps (contracts concentrically to extend the knee)
Antagonist	Hamstrings (relax to allow extension)
Fixator	Gluteals (stabilise the hip to allow the leg to swing)
Contraction type	Concentric (quadriceps shorten to produce the kicking movement)

Additional Detail — The Preparation Phase

Before the kick, the leg draws back (flexion at the knee):

Element	Detail
Movement	Flexion (bending the knee to draw the leg back)
Agonist	Hamstrings (contract concentrically to flex the knee)
Antagonist	Quadriceps (relax to allow flexion)

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Worked Example 2: A Bicep Curl

The Action

A person performing a bicep curl with a dumbbell.

Lifting Phase (Flexion at the Elbow)

Element	Detail
Joint	Elbow
Type of joint	Hinge
Bones	Humerus, radius, ulna
Movement	Flexion
Agonist	Biceps (contracts concentrically — shortens)
Antagonist	Triceps (relaxes)
Fixator	Deltoid (stabilises the shoulder joint)
Contraction type	Concentric

Lowering Phase (Extension at the Elbow)

Element	Detail
Movement	Extension (controlled lowering)
Muscle performing the work	Biceps (contracts eccentrically — lengthens under tension)
Contraction type	Eccentric

Exam Tip: Notice that during the lowering phase, the biceps is still the muscle doing the work — but it is working eccentrically (lengthening under tension to control the descent). The agonist/antagonist roles during eccentric contractions can be confusing — focus on which muscle is generating force and controlling the movement.

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Worked Example 3: A Press-Up

Lowering Phase

Element	Detail
Joint	Elbow
Movement	Flexion (arms bend, body lowers)
Key muscle	Triceps (eccentric contraction — lengthens under tension)
Pectorals	Also working eccentrically at the shoulder
Contraction type	Eccentric (controlling the descent)

Pushing Up Phase

Element	Detail
Joint	Elbow
Movement	Extension (arms straighten, body rises)
Agonist	Triceps (concentric contraction — shortens)
Antagonist	Biceps (relaxes)
Contraction type	Concentric

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Worked Example 4: Sprinting

Sprinting is a complex, whole-body action. Here is an analysis of the key phases at the main joints:

Driving Phase (Leg Pushes Body Forward)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Contraction
Hip	Extension	Gluteals, hamstrings	Concentric
Knee	Extension	Quadriceps	Concentric
Ankle	Pushing off (heel raise)	Gastrocnemius	Concentric

Recovery Phase (Leg Swings Forward)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Contraction
Hip	Flexion	Abdominals, quadriceps	Concentric
Knee	Flexion	Hamstrings	Concentric

Arm Action

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Contraction
Shoulder	Flexion and extension (pumping)	Deltoid, latissimus dorsi (alternating)	Concentric
Elbow	Held at approximately 90 degrees	Biceps, triceps	Isometric

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Worked Example 5: Performing a Squat

Lowering Phase (Descending)

Joint	Movement	Key Muscle	Contraction
Hip	Flexion	Gluteals	Eccentric (lengthening to control descent)
Knee	Flexion	Quadriceps	Eccentric (lengthening to control descent)

Holding at the Bottom

Joint	Key Muscle	Contraction
Hip	Gluteals, hamstrings	Isometric (holding position)
Knee	Quadriceps	Isometric (holding position)

Standing Up Phase (Ascending)

Joint	Movement	Key Muscle	Contraction
Hip	Extension	Gluteals	Concentric (shortening to extend the hip)
Knee	Extension	Quadriceps	Concentric (shortening to extend the knee)

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Worked Example 6: Swimming Front Crawl (Arm Pull)

Joint	Movement	Agonist	Contraction
Shoulder	Adduction and extension (pulling arm through water)	Latissimus dorsi, pectorals	Concentric
Elbow	Flexion then extension (pulling and pushing water)	Biceps then triceps	Concentric
Shoulder	Circumduction (arm recovery over the water)	Deltoid	Concentric

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Worked Example 7: Holding a Handstand (Gymnastics)

Joint	Key Muscles	Contraction
Shoulder	Deltoid, trapezius	Isometric (holding position)
Elbow	Triceps	Isometric (holding arms straight)
Hip	Gluteals, abdominals	Isometric (holding body straight)
Knee	Quadriceps	Isometric (holding legs straight)

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Practice: How to Structure an Exam Answer

When asked to analyse a sporting movement, use this template:

1. Name the joint — e.g., "The movement occurs at the knee joint."
2. State the type of joint — e.g., "The knee is a hinge joint."
3. Identify the movement — e.g., "Extension occurs at the knee (the angle increases)."
4. Name the agonist — e.g., "The quadriceps is the agonist, contracting concentrically to produce extension."
5. Name the antagonist — e.g., "The hamstrings is the antagonist, relaxing to allow the movement."
6. Name the fixator (if relevant) — e.g., "The gluteals act as a fixator, stabilising the hip."
7. State the contraction type — e.g., "The quadriceps contracts concentrically (shortens to produce the movement)."

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Linking Bones, Joints, Muscles, and Movements