Lower Limb Joint Angular Position and Muscle Activity During Elliptical Exercise in Healthy Young Men

The purpose of this study was to compare lower extremity joint angular position and muscle activity during elliptical exercise using different foot positions and also during exercise on a lateral elliptical trainer. Sixteen men exercised on a lateral elliptical and on a standard elliptical trainer using straight foot position, increased toe-out angle, and a wide step. Motion capture and electromyography systems were used to obtain 3D lower extremity joint kinematics and muscle activity, respectively. The lateral trainer produced greater sagittal and frontal plane knee range of motion (ROM), greater peak knee flexion and extension, and higher vastus medialis activation compared with other conditions (P < .05). Toe-out and wide step produced the greatest and smallest peak knee adduction angles, respectively (P < .05). The lateral trainer produced greater sagittal and frontal plane hip ROM and greater peak hip extension and flexion compared with all other conditions (P < .05). Toe-out angle produced the largest peak hip external rotation angle and lowest gluteus muscle activation (P < .05). Findings from this study indicate that standard elliptical exercise with wide step may place the knee joint in a desirable frontal plane angular position to reduce medial knee loads, and that lateral elliptical exercise could help improve quadriceps strength but could also lead to larger knee contact forces.

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Role of Occupational Footwear and Prolonged Walking on Lower Extremity Muscle Activation during Maximal Exertions and Postural Stability Tasks

Biomechanics ◽

10.3390/biomechanics1020017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 202-213

Author(s):

Harish Chander ◽

Sachini N. K. Kodithuwakku Arachchige ◽

Alana J. Turner ◽

Reuben F. Burch V ◽

Adam C. Knight ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Medial Gastrocnemius ◽

Lower Extremity Muscle ◽

Prolonged Duration ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact

Background: Occupational footwear and a prolonged duration of walking have been previously reported to play a role in maintaining postural stability. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the impact of three types of occupational footwear: the steel-toed work boot (ST), the tactical work boot (TB), and the low-top work shoe (LT) on previously unreported lower extremity muscle activity during postural stability tasks. Methods: Electromyography (EMG) muscle activity was measured from four lower extremity muscles (vastus medialis (VM), medial hamstrings (MH), tibialis anterior (TA), and medial gastrocnemius (MG) during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) and during a sensory organization test (SOT) every 30 min over a 4 h simulated workload while wearing ST, TB, and LT footwear. The mean MVIC and the mean and percentage MVIC during each SOT condition from each muscle was analyzed individually using a repeated measures ANOVA at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found for maximal exertions, but this was limited to only the time main effect. No significant differences existed for EMG measures during the SOT. Conclusion: The findings suggest that occupational footwear type does not influence lower extremity muscle activity during both MVIC and SOT. Significantly lower muscle activity during maximal exertions over the course of the 4 h workload was evident, which can be attributed to localized muscular fatigue, but this was not sufficient to impact muscle activity during postural stability tasks.

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Glenohumeral Muscle Activation During Provocative Tests Designed to Diagnose Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior Lesions

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546511419822 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 39 (12) ◽

pp. 2670-2678 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Vanessa J.C. Wood ◽

Michelle B. Sabick ◽

Ron P. Pfeiffer ◽

Seth M. Kuhlman ◽

Jason H. Christensen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Muscle Activity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Biceps Brachii ◽

External Rotation ◽

Slap Lesion ◽

Radiographic Findings ◽

Superior Labrum ◽

Long Head ◽

Supination External Rotation ◽

Anterior Posterior

Background: Despite considerable medical advances, arthroscopy remains the only definitive means of superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) lesion diagnosis. Natural shoulder anatomic variants limit the reliability of radiographic findings and clinical evaluations are not consistent. Accurate clinical diagnostic techniques would be advantageous because of the invasiveness, patient risk, and financial cost associated with arthroscopy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the behavior of the joint-stabilizing muscles in provocative tests for SLAP lesions. Electromyography was used to characterize the muscle behavior, with particular interest in the long head of the biceps brachii (LHBB), as activation of the long head and subsequent tension in the biceps tendon should, based on related research, elicit labral symptoms in SLAP lesion patients. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Volunteers (N = 21) without a history of shoulder injury were recruited. The tests analyzed were active compression, Speed’s, pronated load, biceps load I, biceps load II, resisted supination external rotation, and Yergason’s. Tests were performed with a dynamometer to improve reproducibility. Muscle activity was recorded for the long and short heads of the biceps brachii, anterior deltoid, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, infraspinatus, and supraspinatus. Muscle behavior for each test was characterized by peak activation and proportion of muscle activity. Results: Speed’s, active compression palm-up, bicep I, and bicep II produced higher long head activations. Resisted supination external rotation, bicep I, bicep II, and Yergason’s produced a higher LHBB proportion. Conclusion: Biceps load I and biceps load II elicited promising long head behavior (high activation and selectivity). Speed’s and active compression palm up elicited higher activation of the LHBB, and resisted supination and Yergason’s elicited selective LHBB activity. These top performing tests utilize a unique range of test variables that may prove valuable for optimal SLAP test design and performance. Clinical Relevance: This study examines several provocative tests that are frequently used in the clinical setting as a means of evaluating a potential SLAP lesion.

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Muscle-Activation Onset Times With Shoes and Foot Orthoses in Participants With Chronic Ankle Instability

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-50.2.02 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (7) ◽

pp. 688-696 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Bart Dingenen ◽

Louis Peeraer ◽

Kevin Deschamps ◽

Steffen Fieuws ◽

Luc Janssens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Linear Model ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Chronic Ankle Instability ◽

Foot Orthoses ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Peroneus Longus ◽

Hip Muscles

Context Participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI) use an altered neuromuscular strategy to shift weight from double-legged to single-legged stance. Shoes and foot orthoses may influence these muscle-activation patterns. Objective To evaluate the influence of shoes and foot orthoses on onset times of lower extremity muscle activity in participants with CAI during the transition from double-legged to single-legged stance. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Musculoskeletal laboratory. Patients or Other Participants A total of 15 people (9 men, 6 women; age = 21.8 ± 3.0 years, height = 177.7 ± 9.6 cm, mass = 72.0 ± 14.6 kg) who had CAI and wore foot orthoses were recruited. Intervention(s) A transition task from double-legged to single-legged stance was performed with eyes open and with eyes closed. Both limbs were tested in 4 experimental conditions: (1) barefoot (BF), (2) shoes only, (3) shoes with standard foot orthoses, and (4) shoes with custom foot orthoses (SCFO). Main Outcome Measure(s) The onset of activity of 9 lower extremity muscles was recorded using surface electromyography and a single force plate. Results Based on a full-factorial (condition, region, limb, vision) linear model for repeated measures, we found a condition effect (F3,91.8 = 9.39, P < .001). Differences among experimental conditions did not depend on limb or vision condition. Based on a 2-way (condition, muscle) linear model within each region (ankle, knee, hip), earlier muscle-activation onset times were observed in the SCFO than in the BF condition for the peroneus longus (P < .001), tibialis anterior (P = .003), vastus medialis obliquus (P = .04), and vastus lateralis (P = .005). Furthermore, the peroneus longus was activated earlier in the shoes-only (P = .02) and shoes-with-standard-foot-orthoses (P = .03) conditions than in the BF condition. No differences were observed for the hip muscles. Conclusions Earlier onset of muscle activity was most apparent in the SCFO condition for ankle and knee muscles but not for hip muscles during the transition from double-legged to single-legged stance. These findings might help clinicians understand how shoes and foot orthoses can influence neuromuscular control in participants with CAI.

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Bilateral Limb Phase Relationship and Its Potential to Alter Muscle Activity Phasing During Locomotion

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00211.2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 102 (5) ◽

pp. 2856-2865 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Laila Alibiglou ◽

Citlali López-Ortiz ◽

Charles B. Walter ◽

David A. Brown

Keyword(s):

Muscle Activity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Angular Position ◽

Phase Relationship ◽

Rectus Femoris ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Muscle Activation Patterns ◽

Relative Contribution ◽

Coordination Patterns ◽

Muscle Phasing

It is well established that the sensorimotor state of one limb can influence another limb and therefore bilateral somatosensory inputs make an important contribution to interlimb coordination patterns. However, the relative contribution of interlimb pathways for modifying muscle activation patterns in terms of phasing is less clear. Here we studied adaptation of muscle activity phasing to the relative angular positions of limbs using a split-crank ergometer, where the cranks could be decoupled to allow different spatial angular position relationships. Twenty neurologically healthy individuals performed the specified pedaling tasks at different relative angular positions while surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded bilaterally from eight lower extremity muscles. During each experiment, the relative angular crank positions were altered by increasing or decreasing their difference by randomly ordered increments of 30° over the complete cycle [0° (in phase pedaling); 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180° (standard pedaling); and 210, 240, 270, 300, and 330° out of phase pedaling]. We found that manipulating the relative angular positions of limbs in a pedaling task caused muscle activity phasing changes that were either delayed or advanced, dependent on the relative spatial position of the two cranks and this relationship is well-explained by a sine curve. Further, we observed that the magnitude of phasing changes in biarticular muscles (like rectus femoris) was significantly greater than those of uniarticular muscles (like vastus medialis). These results are important because they provide new evidence that muscle phasing can be systematically influenced by interlimb pathways.

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A systematic review of the effect of footwear, foot orthoses and taping on lower limb muscle activity during walking and running

Prosthetics and Orthotics International ◽

10.1177/0309364619870666 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 576-596 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joanna Reeves ◽

Richard Jones ◽

Anmin Liu ◽

Leah Bent ◽

Emma Plater ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lower Limb ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Frontal Plane ◽

Triceps Surae ◽

Tibialis Posterior ◽

Foot Orthoses ◽

Lower Limb Muscle ◽

Limb Muscle ◽

Therapeutic Benefits

Background: External devices are used to manage musculoskeletal pathologies by altering loading of the foot, which could result in altered muscle activity that could have therapeutic benefits. Objectives: To establish if evidence exists that footwear, foot orthoses and taping alter lower limb muscle activity during walking and running. Study design: Systematic literature review. Methods: CINAHL, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science databases were searched. Quality assessment was performed using guidelines for assessing healthcare interventions and electromyography methodology. Results: Thirty-one studies were included: 22 related to footwear, eight foot orthoses and one taping. In walking, (1) rocker footwear apparently decreases tibialis anterior activity and increases triceps surae activity, (2) orthoses could decrease activity of tibialis posterior and increase activity of peroneus longus and (3) other footwear and taping effects are unclear. Conclusion: Modifications in shoe or orthosis design in the sagittal or frontal plane can alter activation in walking of muscles acting primarily in these planes. Adequately powered research with kinematic and kinetic data is needed to explain the presence/absence of changes in muscle activation with external devices. Clinical relevance This review provides some evidence that foot orthoses can reduce tibialis posterior activity, potentially benefitting specific musculoskeletal pathologies.

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Frontal plane ankle stiffness increases with axial load independent of muscle activity

10.1101/2021.12.06.471410 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zoe Villamar ◽

Eric J. Perreault ◽

Daniel Ludvig

Keyword(s):

Muscle Activity ◽

Axial Load ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Axial Loading ◽

Frontal Plane ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Ankle Sprains ◽

Ankle Stability ◽

Ankle Stiffness

ABSTRACTAnkle sprains are the most common musculoskeletal injury, typically resulting from excessive inversion of the ankle. One way to prevent excessive inversion and maintain ankle stability is to generate a stiffness that is sufficient to resist externally imposed rotations. Frontal-plane ankle stiffness increases as participants place more weight on their ankle, but whether this effect is due to muscle activation or axial loading of the ankle is unknown. Identifying whether and to what extent axial loading affects ankle stiffness is important in understanding what role the passive mechanics of the ankle joint play in maintaining its stability. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of passive axial load on frontal-plane ankle stiffness. We had subjects seated in a chair as an axial load was applied to the ankle ranging from 10% to 50% body weight. Small rotational perturbations were applied to the ankle in the frontal plane to estimate stiffness. We found a significant, linear, 3-fold increase in ankle stiffness with axial load from the range of 0% bodyweight to 50% bodyweight. This increase could not be due to muscle activity as we observed no significant axial-load-dependent change in any of the recorded muscle activations. These results demonstrate that axial loading is a significant contributor to maintaining frontal-plane ankle stability, and that disruptions to the mechanism mediating this sensitivity of stiffness to axial loading may result in pathological cases of ankle instability.

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The Effect of Isometric Hip External Rotation on Lower Extremity Muscles Activities During Pelvic Drop With Different Positions of the Hip Rotation in Subjects With and Without Genu Valgum: Controlled Laboratory Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1216844/v1 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Roghayeh Jalil piran ◽

Farideh Babakhani ◽

Ramin Balochi ◽

Mohamadreza Hatefi

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

External Rotation ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Gluteus Medius ◽

Genu Valgum ◽

Recreational Athletes ◽

Quadratus Lumborum ◽

Functional Defect ◽

Hip Rotation

Abstract Background: Gluteus medius muscle (Gmed) dysfunction has been confirmed as a functional defect in subjects with Genu Valgum Deformity (GVD). In relation to these subjects, increase Gmed activity without synergist muscles dominance is considered as part of a specialized exercise program. Methods: A total of thirty female recreational athletes with (n=15) and without (n=15) GVD participated in this study. Surface electromyography measured Gmed, tensor fascia latae (TFL), and quadratus lumborum (QL) muscles activity when subjects performed pelvic drop (PD) in three different positions of hip rotations with and without applied isometric hip external rotation force. Results: There were differences in muscle activity between GVD and healthy subjects. The Gmed/TFL and Gmed/QL muscles activity ratio altered when placing the hip in different rotation positions and applying isometric load. Conclusions: The lower extremity muscles activity is affected by GVD, and changing the positions of the hip rotation in the PD task can be associated with altered muscle activity in both GVD and healthy Groups. However, applying isometric hip external rotation during PD can be suggested as an effective intervention to increase Gmed activity.

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Lower Extremity EMG in Male and Female College Soccer Players during Single-Leg Landing

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.14.1.48 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 48-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

J. Craig Garrison ◽

Joe M. Hart ◽

Riann M. Palmieri ◽

D. Casey Kerrigan ◽

Christopher D. Ingersoll

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Emg Activity ◽

Initial Contact ◽

Male And Female ◽

Female College ◽

Peak Knee

Context:Gender differences in muscle activity during landing have been studied as a possible contributing factor to the greater incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women.Objective:To compare root-mean-square (RMS) electromyography (EMG) of selected lower extremity muscles at initial contact (IC) and at peak knee internal-rotation (IR) moment in men and women during landing.Design:Preexperimental design static-group comparison.Setting:Motion-analysis laboratory.Participants:16 varsity college soccer players (8 men, 8 women).Main Outcome Measures:EMG activity of the gluteus medius, lateral hamstrings, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris during landing.Results:When RMS EMG of all muscles was considered simultaneously, no significant differences were detected between genders at IC or at peak knee IR moment.Conclusion:Male and female college soccer players display similar relative muscle activities of the lower extremity during landing. Gender landing-control parameters might vary depending on the technique used to analyze muscle activity.

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Lower Extremity Muscle Activation in Alternative Footwear during Stance Phase of Slip Events

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041533 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1533

Author(s):

Harish Chander ◽

John C. Garner ◽

Chip Wade ◽

Adam C. Knight

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Stance Phase ◽

Voluntary Contraction ◽

Repeated Measures Design ◽

Lower Extremity Muscle ◽

Repeated Measures Analysis ◽

The Impact

Muscle activity from the slipping leg have been previously used to analyze slip induced falls. However, the impact of casual alternative footwear on slipping leg muscle activity when exposed to slippery environments is still unknown. The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of alternative footwear (crocs (CC) and flip-flops (FF)) compared to slip-resistant footwear (LT) on lower extremity muscle activity when exposed to dry gait (NG), unexpected (US), alert (AS), and expected slips (ES). Eighteen healthy males (age: 22.3 ± 2.2 years; height: 177.7 ± 6.9 cm; weight: 79.3 ± 7.6 kg) completed the study in a repeated measures design in three footwear sessions separated by 48 h. Electromyography (EMG) muscle activity from four muscles of the lead/slipping leg was measured during the stance phase of the gait-slip trials. A 3 (footwear) × 4 (gait-slip trials) repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze EMG dependent variables mean, peak, and percent of maximal voluntary contraction. Greater lower extremity muscle activation during the stance phase was seen in US and AS conditions compared to NG and ES. In addition, footwear differences were seen for the alternative footwear (CC and FF) during US and AS, while the low top slip resistant shoe had no differences across all gait trials, suggesting it as the most efficient footwear of choice, especially when maneuvering slippery flooring conditions, either with or without the knowledge of an impending slip.

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Human muscle activity and lower limb biomechanics of overground walking at varying levels of simulated reduced gravity and gait speeds

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253467 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0253467

Author(s):

Mhairi K. MacLean ◽

Daniel P. Ferris

Keyword(s):

Lower Limb ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Stance Phase ◽

Knee Extension ◽

Medial Gastrocnemius ◽

Gravity Level ◽

Reduced Gravity ◽

Overground Walking ◽

Peak Knee

Reducing the mechanical load on the human body through simulated reduced gravity can reveal important insight into locomotion biomechanics. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of simulated reduced gravity on muscle activation levels and lower limb biomechanics across a range of overground walking speeds. Our overall hypothesis was that muscle activation amplitudes would not decrease proportionally to gravity level. We recruited 12 participants (6 female, 6 male) to walk overground at 1.0, 0.76, 0.55, and 0.31 G for four speeds: 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 ms-1. We found that peak ground reaction forces, peak knee extension moment in early stance, peak hip flexion moment, and peak ankle extension moment all decreased substantially with reduced gravity. The peak knee extension moment at late stance/early swing did not change with gravity. The effect of gravity on muscle activity amplitude varied considerably with muscle and speed, often varying nonlinearly with gravity level. Quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, & vastus medialis) and medial gastrocnemius activity decreased in stance phase with reduced gravity. Soleus and lateral gastrocnemius activity had no statistical differences with gravity level. Tibialis anterior and biceps femoris increased with simulated reduced gravity in swing and stance phase, respectively. The uncoupled relationship between simulated gravity level and muscle activity have important implications for understanding biomechanical muscle functions during human walking and for the use of bodyweight support for gait rehabilitation after injury.

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