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Various clamp designs have been proposed over the years with different degrees of complexity and actual performance vis-à-vis correct grip and reduced impact on the surface strains of the tendon sample. The previous studies all focused on impact on ultimate tensile strain and Young's modulus of the tendons. Here an innovative clamp design is proposed that utilizes the fairly recently available technology that is 3D printing to produce a made-to-measure tendon sleeve that encloses the sample ends and also enables straightforward alignment within the testing equipment. All experiments are carried out using the superficial digital flexor tendons obtained from pig hind legs. The Young's moduli for the linear region of the tendon obtained using this clamp design are very similar to those obtained using the cryo Jaw by other researchers for the same tendon. Furthermore, negative Poisson's ratios are also obtained for the toe-region, in agreement with previous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On‐water rowing is a sport where participants make extensive, powerful, and complex repetitive movements with their wrists to pull and feather (twist) the oar. Herein, the aim is to assess the frequency and perceived causes of wrist and forearm pain in rowers and, in particular, assess whether there are any possible mechanical issues that could be addressed through the use of auxetic technology. Through an online survey of 145 on‐water rowers, it is found that 33.8% of the rowers reported wrist or forearm pain arising from rowing. The majority (67.3%) consider over‐gripping to be the cause while one out of five associated it with periods of tension and anxiety, which also led them to over‐grip. This indicates that rowing handles could benefit from the use of mechanical metamaterials, auxetics in particular, owing to their anomalous manner in how they deform when subjected to mechanical deformations. Moreover, given the rise in popularity of coastal rowing, which will become an Olympic discipline alongside classic rowing as from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the potential use of auxetics in the manufacture of protective gear for use in coastal rowing is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rowing is a sport that requires athletes to perform the action of pulling and rotating an oar by hand, applying forces of considerable magnitude. Herein, inspired by the notion that auxetic materials and metamaterials behave differently compared to their conventional counterparts, it is examined how a handle prototype, specifically designed to incorporate the classic re‐entrant motif, behaves and how end‐users perceive it. Physical experiments conducted on such prototype, which measured the contact pressures, suggest that on average, higher pressures are measured when pulling with this reentrant grip compared to its non reentrant counterpart, indicating that this re‐entrant prototype should feel firmer. More importantly, respondents of a survey are asked to give their feedback, and different views on which handle they would prefer to use are provided. The ones who preferred the prototype with the reentrant features report that they preferred it because it felt firmer and allowed for a better grip. This suggests that there is potential for further investigation into whether handles, oar handles in particular, made from auxetic components, re‐entrant cells, or other motifs which are well known for their negative Poisson's ratio characteristics, could provide a better and more secure grip and be used in sports applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]