Biodynamics Lab

Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University

We are conducting research on biomechanical, physiological and anatomical aspects of human movements and in vivo skeletal muscle mechanics.
Please also visit Instagram and Linkedin sites (updated a bit more frequently with news)

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NEWS

March 26, 2024

The graduation ceremonies for undergrad and graduate students were held.

Yuki Yamada, Hisashi Kidoin, and Kazuki Tomari received a master's degree.

Congratulations! 


January 15, 2024

Online thesis presentations by undergrad students were held with Wakahara-Lab, Doshisha University!

The event was a great success with a total of 20 presentations. Thank you to all the thesis students and participants. Look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the future!

January 12, 2024

Happy New Year!

List of dissertations/theses has been updated, including graduation theses in the academic year 2023. Presentations by students on January 15th (Mon), online, together with Wakahara-Lab, Doshisha University.

December 7, 2023

Our recent work is highlighted in the press release and picked up by other news outlets!

Takahashi et al. Coronal as well as sagittal fascicle dynamics can bring about a gearing effect in muscle elongation by passive lengthening. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2023.

Press release

EurekAlert!

November 10, 2023

Our research work on joint flexibility and mobility is featured in a journal Healthist.

"Flexibility is a component of physical fitness: Stretch your body appropriately according to your objectives"

October 10, 2023

Human Performance Laboratory is organizing a science communication event on October 15, 2023.

Let's Science with Rookie Researchers!
Measure, Understand, and Create Human Movements

Graduate and undergraduate students in sport sciences and science & engineering will talk about study, life and future.

Click here for details.

June 15, 2023

Human Performance Laboratory is organizing an international symposium on July 27, 2023.

Human Movement Studies: From Perspectives of Sport Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Click here for details.

20230727-International Symposium-flier-ver5.pdf

May 17, 2023

Our paper has been accepted for publication in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise!

Takahashi K., Shiotani H., Evangelidis P.E., Sado N., Kawakami Y. Coronal as well as sagittal fascicle dynamics can bring about a gearing effect in muscle elongation by passive lengthening. Med Sci Sports Exerc, in press.

April 27, 2023

Our paper has been published online in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research!

Shiotani H., Mizokuchi T., Yamashita R., Naito M., Kawakami, Y. Influence of body mass on running-induced changes in mechanical properties of plantar fascia. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2023.

March 26, 2023

The graduation ceremonies for undergrad and graduate students were held.

Katsuki Takahashi received a PhD degree and
Shoma Muraki received a master's degree.

Congratulations! 


March 3, 2023

Katsuki Takahashi won the Yoshio Hamano Commemorative Award from Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University for his outstanding research achivements and character. Congratulations! 

February 23, 2023

Prof. Yasuo Kawakami and the lab research topics are featured in Nature.

February 16, 2023

Our paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research!

Shiotani H., Mizokuchi T., Yamashita R., Naito M., Kawakami, Y. Influence of body mass on running-induced changes in mechanical properties of plantar fascia. in press.

January 14, 2023

Happy New Year!

List of dissertations/theses has been updated, including graduation theses in the academic year 2022. Presentations by students on January 17th (Tue), online, together with Wakahara-Lab, Doshisha University.

December 15, 2022

Our paper has been published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise!

Shiotani H., Takahashi K., Honma Y., Tomari K., Hayashi H., Sado N., Kawakami Y. Mechanical linkage between Achilles tendon and plantar fascia accounts for range of motion of human ankle–foot complex. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 55(1): 66-73, 2023.

Furthermore, this paper has been selected as the MSSE Featured Article of the January 2023 issue!
Highlighted in the online “News and Views” commentary by Dr. Andrew Jones (MSSE’s Editor-in-Chief) until mid-January. 


December 8, 2022

4th-year seminar students have submitted their graduation theses. Congratulations!

 Click here for a list of dissertations and theses.

November 17, 2022

Our paper accepted for publication in European Journal of Applied Physiology!

Evangelidis, P. E., Shan, X., Otsuka, S., Yang, C., Yamagishi, T., Kawakami, Y. Fatigue-induced changes in hamstrings' active muscle stiffness: Effect of contraction type and implications for strain injuries. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. in press.

November 13, 2022

Katsuki Takahashi won the Young Investigator Award from the Japanese Society of Biomechanics for his presentation at their meeting. Congratulations! Pictures in our Instagram.

November 11, 2022

Our paper has been published in Journal of Anatomy, showing fascicle architecture of human gastrocnemius muscle, in vivo.

Takahashi, K., Shiotani, H., Evangelidis, P. E., Sado, N., Kawakami, Y. Three-dimensional architecture of human medial gastrocnemius fascicles in vivo: Regional variation band its dependence on muscle size. J. Anat. 241: 2022: 1324-1335, 2022.

October 27, 2022

Our paper published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  Some figures on our Japanese site. News release in EurekAlert!

Sado, N., Ichinose, H., Kawakami, Y. The lower limbs of sprinters have larger relative mass but not larger normalised moment of inertia than controls.

August 25, 2022

Our paper accepted for publication in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise!

Shiotani, H., Takahashi, K., Honma, Y., Tomari, K., Hayashi, H., Sado, N., Kawakami, Y. Mechanical Linkage between Achilles Tendon and Plantar Fascia Accounts for Range of Motion of Human Ankle-Foot Complex.

July 16, 2022

An event will take place at Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Japan) on July 23. Human Performance Laboratory communicates with visitors for research directions.

April 16, 2022

Human Performance Laboratory, collaboration of Kawakami-Lab with the Faculty of Science and Engineering (Wesugi-Lab, Takanishi-Lab and Takeoka-Lab) has expanded research & science communication activities at Miraikan, Japan. Activities will include measurements of various human movements and designing and manufacuturing humanoids and devices, and application of research outcome.

April 1, 2022

A new semester has started!

March 2, 2022

The International Symposium "Multi-level Structural and Functional Adaptability of Skeletal Muscles and the Whole-Body" was successfully held on-site and online. Thank you for those who contributed and participated. Some pictures at instagram.

March 1, 2022

Updates in lab projects (>About the lab, click on the thumbnail).

February 1, 2022

Papers from our lab have been accepted for presentation in the World Congress of Biomechanics to be held in Taipei (also online) on July 10-14. 

Happy Chinese New Year!

www.wcb2022.com/ 

January 16, 2022

The Acoustical Society of Japan will hold a spring meeting online on the 9th to 11th of March 2022. In the special session on the 11th at 9:15, Kawakami and Aizawa will talk about "Evaluating human movement performance with sound."

acoustics.jp/en/

January 13, 2022

International symposium on skeletal muscles will be held on site at Waseda Higashifushimi Campus and also online.

Lab members as well as international collaborators (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and KU Leuven) will talk about their research work.

www.waseda.jp/inst/sgu/news-en/2022/01/17/12067/ 

January 12, 2022

Our paper has been published in PLOS One!

Yamagishi, T., Saito, A., Kawakami, Y. Determinants of whole-body maximal aerobic performance in young male and female athletes: The roles of lower extremity muscle size, strength and power, PLoS One, 17(1): e0262507.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0262507

December 29, 2021

A book has been released by Elsevier to which Kawakami contribited with Prof. Antonio Stecco.

December 23, 2021

Faculty interview of Prof. Kawakami has been released on the webpage of the Waseda Ocean project!

 Click here to read the full interview.

December 21, 2021

Graduation thesis presentation was held.

Thank you to all the presenters for your hard work and all the participants for the active discussions.

December 14, 2021

We have launched our new website! Please visit us for updated information.

Recent activities on instagram
www.instagram.com/kawakami_lab_waseda/

December 9, 2021

4th-year seminar students have submitted their graduation theses. Congratulations!

 Click here for a list of past dissertations and theses.

December 9, 2021

An online conference was held by Kasetsart University (Faculty of Sports Science, Thailand) and Kawakami was one of invited speakers talking about the utility of ultrasonography in musculotendinous mechanics and injury evaluation.