Application of optimal control to a biomechanics model

A model of sport biomechanics describing short-distance running (sprinting) is developed by applying methods of optimal control. In the considered model, the motion of a sportsman is described by a second-order ordinary differential equation. Two interconnected optimal control problems are formulated and solved: the minimum energy and time-optimal control problems. Based on the comparison with real data, it is shown that the proposed approach to sprint modeling provides realistic results.