Original scientific paper
ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ACTIVITIES OF LEG MUSCLES WHEN PERFORMING BASIC STEP AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS OF THE STEP BENCH
Maja Horvatin-Fuckar
Vladimir Medved
Mario Kasovic
Abstract
The main goal of this research was to establish the
exertion of lower extremities' muscles during dynamic
contractions of stepping up and down the step bench when
performing the basic step at different heights of the step
bench (6, 8 and 10 inches). The 8-channel measuring
system (TELEMG) for measuring EMG signals enabled
the monitoring of eight characteristic muscles of both
right and left leg: m. rectus femoris, m. biceps (caput
longum), m. gastrocnemius medialis, and m. gluteus
maximus, whose activities are significant while
performing the step aerobic steps. The measuring
procedures included 9 examinees, long-term professional
step aerobics trainers. By analyzing the basic statistics
parameters of the monitored muscles calculated from the
processed EMG signals, it is evident that the total energy
consumption of the right leg, so-called the leading leg, is
the greatest. The biggest consumption was in m. biceps
femoris; then m. gastrocnemius medialis, m. gluteus
maximus, and finally in m. rectus femoris. The Wilcoxon
matched pairs test has proved that there are statistically
significant differences in muscle contraction intensity
when increasing the exertion intensity by increasing the
height of the step bench.
Keywords
electromyography (EMG); muscles of lower extremities; step aerobics
Hrčak ID:
14321
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2007.
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