Dr Aki Salo
Highlighted article
Elite sprinting: are athletes individually step-frequency or step-length reliant? in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Salo, A. I. T., Bezodis, I. N., Batterham, A. M. and Kerwin, D. G., 2011.
PhD opportunities
- I consider any self-funded PhD students in the wide area of sport biomechanics
- I am also seeking potential PhD candidates for the University's regular call for excellent UK or overseas funded studentships
- Any funded PhD opportunities will also be advertised here, so please come back to check this web-page
Profile
Aki Salo joined the University of Bath in March 1998 and he is currently Senior Lecturer in Sport Biomechanics. He obtained his PhD from the University of Exeter in 1999 and was awarded British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Fellowship in 2012.
His main research theme is to characterise athletes' technique. The purpose is to understand the fundamental principles underlying performance in order to improve individual technique and efficiency. Aki carries out most of this research in sprint and hurdle events in Athletics, although the same principles can be adapted to other sports as well. For example, a project has recently been started to enhance start performance in ice-track sports.
Aki has supervised four PhD students to completion and is currently supervising three further post-graduate research students.
He has a close working relationship with UK Athletics studying and providing support to their sprint, hurdles and relay squads. This involves being a member of the support staff in recent major championships including the Beijing Olympics 2008. Aki's relay work has been featured internationally including the Washington Post and the New York Times. He is also working with UK Sport and British Skeleton Ltd in new projects.
Aki also collaborates with colleagues in engineering using motion analysis systems innovatively, for example, in modelling projects of bi-stable or unsymmetrical composites.
Research interests
- Sport Biomechanics (especially athletes technique and efficiency of performance)
Current research projects
- Modelling the sprint start in Athletics
- The biomechanics of bend running in Athletic sprint events
- Inverse dynamics analysis of sprinting
- Enhancing start performance in ice-track sports
Teaching
Undergraduate
Publications
Book Sections
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A., Kerwin, D. G., Churchill, S. and Trewartha, G., 2010. A case study of stride frequency and swing time in elite able-bodied sprint running: implications for amputee debate. In: Jensen, R., Ebben, W., Petushek, E., Richter, C. and Roemer, K., eds. Proceedings of the XXVIII International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports (2010). Marquette, MI.: Northern Michigan University, pp. 131-133.
Bezodis, N. E., Salo, A. and Trewartha, G., 2010. Kinematic aspects of block phase technique in sprinting. In: Jensen, R., Ebben, W., Petushek, E., Richter, C. and Roemer, K., eds. Proceedings of the XXVIII International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports (2010). Marquette, MI.: Northern Michigan University, pp. 249-252.
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Kerwin, D. G., 2009. Athlete-specific analyses of leg joint kinetics during maximum velocity sprint running. In: Harrison, D., Anderson, R. and Kenny, I., eds. Proceedings of the XXVII International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports. International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 378-381.
Bezodis, N. E., Trewartha, G. and Salo, A. I. T., 2009. Development, evaluation and application of a simulation model of a sprinter during the first stance phase. In: Harrison, D., Anderson, R. and Kenny, I., eds. Proceedings of the XXVII International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports. International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 108-111.
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Kerwin, D. G., 2008. A longitudinal case study of step characteristics in a world class sprint athlete. In: Kwon, Y. -H., Shim, J., Shim, J. K. and Shin, I. S., eds. Proceedings of the XXVI International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports. Korea: Rainbow Books, pp. 537-540.
Bezodis, N. E., Trewartha, G. and Salo, A. I. T., 2008. Understanding elite sprint start performance through an analysis of joint kinematics. In: Kwon, Y. -H., Shim, J., Shim, J. K. and Shin, I. S., eds. Proceedings of the XXVI International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports. Korea: Rainbow Books, pp. 498-501.
Charles, B., Almond, D. P., Salo, A. I. T. and Bramley, A. N., 2008. A quantitative analysis of beach casting. In: Estivalet, M. and Brisson, P., eds. The Engineering of Sport 7, Volume 1. Vol. 1. Paris: Springer-Verlag, pp. 183-189.
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Kerwin, D. G., 2007. Joint kinetics in maximum velocity sprint running. In: Menzel, H.-J. and Chagas, M. H., eds. Proceedings of the XXV International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports. Brazil: Department of Sports, Federal University of Minas Gerais, pp. 59-62.
Salo, A. I. T., Keränen, T. and Viitasalo, J. T., 2005. Force production in the first four steps of sprint running. In: Wang, Q., ed. Proceedings of XXIII International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports - Vol. 1. Vol. 1. Beijing: The China Institute of Sport Science, pp. 313-317.
Mitchell, R. H., Salo, A. I. T. and Medland, A. J., 2003. Determining mass centre trajectory variations for application to human modelling. In: Hamza, M. H., ed. Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Biomechanics (BioMECH 2003). ACTA Press, pp. 147-152.
Salo, A. I. T., 2002. Technical changes in hurdle clearances at the beginning of 110m hurdle event – a pilot study. In: Gianikellis, K. E., ed. Proceedings of the XX International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports. Spain: Universidad de Extremadura, pp. 84-87.
Salo, A. I. T., 2001. Running velocities and baton change-overs in 4 x 100m relay exchanges. In: Blackwell, J. R. and Sanders, R. H., eds. Proceedings of Oral Sessions XIX International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports. International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 87-90.
Keränen, T., Jouste, P. and Salo, A. I. T., 2000. A new method for evaluating the balance between the different phases in 100m sprinting. In: Hong, Y., Johns, D. P. and Sanders, R., eds. Proceedings of XVIII International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports, Volume 2. Vol. 2. International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, pp. 658-661.
Articles
Bezodis, N.E., Salo, A.I.T. and Trewartha, G., 2013. Forthcoming. Excessive fluctuations in knee joint moments during early stance in sprinting are caused by digital filtering procedures. Gait & Posture
Bezodis, N. E., Salo, A. I. T. and Trewartha, G., 2012. Measurement error in estimates of sprint velocity from a laser displacement measurement device. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 33 (6), pp. 439-444.
Bezodis, N. E., Salo, A. I. T. and Trewartha, G., 2012. Modeling the stance leg in two-dimensional analyses of sprinting: inclusion of the MTP joint affects joint kinetics. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 28 (2), pp. 222-227.
Bowen, C. R., Giddings, P., Salo, A. and Kim, H. A., 2011. Modeling and characterization of piezoelectrically actuated bistable composites. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 58 (9), pp. 1737-1750.
Salo, A. I. T., Bezodis, I. N., Batterham, A. M. and Kerwin, D. G., 2011. Elite sprinting: are athletes individually step-frequency or step-length reliant? Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43 (6), pp. 1055-1062.
Giddings, P. F., Kim, H. A., Salo, A. I. T. and Bowen, C. R., 2011. Modelling of piezoelectrically actuated bistable composites. Materials Letters, 65 (9), pp. 1261-1263.
Bezodis, N. E., Salo, A. I. T. and Trewartha, G., 2011. The effect of digital filtering procedures on knee joint moments in sprinting. Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences, 11 (2), pp. 837-840.
Churchill, S. M., Salo, A. I. T. and Trewartha, G., 2011. The effect of the bend on technique and performance during maximal speed sprinting. Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences, 11 (2), pp. 471-474.
Bezodis, N. E., Salo, A. I. T. and Trewartha, G., 2010. Choice of sprint start performance measure affects the performance-based ranking within a group of sprinters: which is the most appropriate measure? Sports Biomechanics, 9 (4), pp. 258-269.
Giddings, P., Bowen, C., Salo, A., Kim, H. A. and Ive, A., 2010. Bistable composite laminates: effects of laminate composition on cured-shape and response to thermal load. Composite Structures, 92 (9), pp. 2220-2225.
Kim, H. A., Betts, D., Salo, A. I. T. and Bowen, C., 2010. Shape memory alloy-piezoelectric active structures for reversible actuation of bistable composites. AIAA Journal, 48 (6), pp. 1265-1268.
Betts, D., Salo, A. I. T., Bowen, C. and Kim, H. A., 2010. Characterisation and modelling of the cured shapes of arbitrary layup bistable composite laminates. Composite Structures, 92 (7), pp. 1694-1700.
Bezodis, I. N., Kerwin, D. G. and Salo, A. I. T., 2008. Lower-limb mechanics during the support phase of maximum-velocity sprint running. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40 (4), pp. 707-715.
Mitchell, R. H., Medland, A. J. and Salo, A. I. T., 2007. A design methodology to create constraint-based human movement patterns for ergonomic analysis. Journal of Engineering Design, 18 (4), pp. 293-310.
Bowen, C. R., Salo, A. I. T., Butler, R., Chang, E. and Kim, H. A., 2007. Bi-stable composites with piezoelectric actuators for shape change. Key Engineering Materials, 334-3335, pp. 1109-1112.
Salo, A. I. T. and Scarborough, S., 2006. Changes in technique within a sprint hurdle run. Sports Biomechanics, 5 (2), pp. 155-166.
Salo, A. I. T., Twigg, D., Grimshaw, P. N. and Viitasalo, J. T., 2006. Extrapolation errors in controlled three-dimensional video camera set-ups. Journal of Human Movement Studies, 50 (1), pp. 1-18.
Salo, A. I. T., Grimshaw, P. N. and Viitasalo, J. T., 2004. Influence of camera orientations on three-dimensional motion analysis. Journal of Human Movement Studies, 47, pp. 253-267.
Salo, A. I. T. and Bezodis, I. N., 2004. Which starting style is faster in sprint running – standing or crouch start. Sports Biomechanics, 3 (1), pp. 43-54.
Frear, N., Darby, A. P. and Salo, A. I. T., 2003. A new method for measuring the dynamic response of cable net structures – Technical note. The Structural Engineer, 81 (12), pp. 19-20.
Conference or Workshop Items
Kim, H. A., Betts, D., Giddings, P., Fong, Y. T. T., Salo, A. and Bowen, C., 2010. Study of an arbitrary bistable composite laminates. Submitted to: 51st AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2010-04-12 - 2010-04-15, Orlando, Florida.
Kim, H. A., Betts, D. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Bowen, C. R., 2009. Shape memory alloy actuation for asymmetric bistable composites. In: 17th Annual International Conference on Composites/Nano Engineering, 2009-07-26 - 2009-08-01, Hawaii.
Giddings, P. F., Bowen, C. R., Salo, A. and Kim, H. A., 2009. Bistable composite laminates - effects of laminate composition on cured-shape and response to thermal load. In: 15th International Conference on Composite Structures, 2009-06-01 - 2009-06-05, Porto.
Betts, D. N., Fong, Y. T. T., Salo, A., Bowen, C. R. and Kim, H. A., 2009. Characterization of the cured shapes of arbitrary layup composite laminates. In: 15th International Conference on Composite Structures, 2009-06-01 - 2009-06-05, Porto.
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Kerwin, D., 2008. A longitudinal case study of step characteristics in elite sprinting. In: BASES Biomechanics Interest Group, Easter Meeting no 24, 2008-01-01, Cardiff School of Sport.
Bezodis, N. E., Trewartha, G. and Salo, A. I. T., 2008. Technique and performance during the elite sprint start. In: BASES Biomechanics Interest Group, Easter Meeting no 24, 2008-01-01, Cardiff School of Sport.
Bezodis, N., Trewartha, G. and Salo, A. I. T., 2007. Choice of performance measure affects the evaluation of print start performance. In: Annual Conference of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences 2007, 2007-09-11 - 2007-09-13, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus.
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Kerwin, G., 2007. Joint power and work in an elite sprinter at maximum velocity. In: Annual Conference of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences 2007, 2007-09-11 - 2007-09-13, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus.
Bezodis, N. E., Trewartha, G. and Salo, A. I. T., 2007. A comparison of initial step characteristics in elite sprinters. In: BASES Biomechanics Interest Group, Easter Meeting no 23, 2007-01-01.
Coker, J. and Salo, A. I. T., 2007. Determining the optimal trunk extension timing for rowing performance in a single subject. In: New Zealand Sports Medicine + Science conference, 2007-01-01, Hamilton.
Bezodis, I. N., Salo, A. I. T. and Kerwin, D. G., 2007. Step characteristics variation in maximum velocity sprint running. In: BASES Biomechanics Interest Group, Easter Meeting no 23, 2007-01-01.
Bowen, C. R., Salo, A. I. T., Butler, R., Chang, E. and Kim, H. A., 2006. Bi-stable composites with piezoelectric actuators for shape change. In: 5th Asian-Australian Conference on Composite Materials, 2006-11-01, Hong Kong.
