In which scenario will an athlete’s wrists be under tension?
A. striking a punching bag
B. lifting a barbell overhead
C. completing a push-up
D. pulling a rope in tug-of-war
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: D. pulling a rope in tug-of-war
Explanation:
To determine which scenario places an athlete’s wrists under tension, we must understand the type of forces acting on the wrist during different physical activities.
Understanding Tension
Tension is a force that pulls or stretches a body part. When a body part is under tension, the force is trying to elongate or pull apart the tissues, bones, or muscles involved. This is different from compression, which pushes or presses structures together.
Option Analysis:
A. Striking a punching bag
- This action involves a quick, forceful forward motion.
- The wrist experiences compression and impact forces due to the punch.
- The force is more compressive rather than tensile (pulling/stretching).
- Not primarily tension.
B. Lifting a barbell overhead
- This involves pushing a heavy load upward.
- The wrist is mostly in a neutral or extended position and experiences compressive load from the weight.
- Again, mostly compression, not tension.
C. Completing a push-up
- During a push-up, the wrist is extended and bears the body’s weight.
- The load on the wrist is compressive, not tensile.
- There’s no pulling force acting on the wrists.
D. Pulling a rope in tug-of-war
- In this activity, the athlete pulls on a rope, and the rope pulls back with an equal and opposite force.
- This creates a tensile force in the arms and wrists, especially as the athlete resists being pulled forward.
- The wrists are under tension, as they are being pulled lengthwise by the rope.
- This is the correct example of tension.
Conclusion:
Among the choices, only Option D (pulling a rope in tug-of-war) involves a pulling action that puts the wrists under tension, making it the correct answer.