A mathematical model of hiking positions in a sailing dinghy

A mathematical model of the human body designed to calculate the resultant muscle torques required at the hip and knee joints for specific hiking techniques is presented. Data for the model were obtained from ten male subjects who adopted three basic positions: Position 1 with the knees located at the inside edge of the sidedeck, Position 2 with the knees at the middle of the sidedeck, and Position 3 with the knees at the outside edge of the sidedeck. Each resultant muscle torque was expressed as a percentage of each subject's maximum voluntary hip flexion or knee extension torque. It was found that where Positions 1 and 2 were equally effective in keeping the boat upright, Position 2 was superior to Position 1 in regard to the per cent of maximum muscle torque required. The superiority of Position 2 over Position 3 depended on the individual's relative muscle strength at the hip and knee joints. The stronger the hip flexors with respect to the knee estensors, the more desirable was Position 2 and vice versa.