Effects of fatigue on the activation characteristics and synergistic patterns of lower limb muscles during running
Zihao Li, Ke He

TL;DR
This study shows how muscle activation and coordination in the legs change during running when fatigue sets in, which could help improve training and prevent injuries.
Contribution
The study identifies three specific neuromuscular strategies used to maintain stability during fatigued running.
Findings
Fatigue increases activation of the quadriceps and gluteus maximus during the stance phase and tibialis anterior during the swing phase.
Ankle joint co-activation increases during the swing phase to enhance rigidity and stability.
Muscle synergy timing shifts, with earlier activation in the stance phase and altered muscle weights within modules.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of fatigue on the control mechanism of the lower limb neuromuscular system during running. The study participants were 25 male running enthusiasts (age: 20.9 ± 1.6 years; height: 174.8 ± 4.5 cm; body mass: 70.3 ± 5.2 kg) with more than 3 years of running experience. Surface electromyography (sEMG), motion capture, and heart rate monitoring technologies were used to obtain data for analysis in three dimensions: muscle activation, joint co-activation, and muscle synergy. The participants began running at 8 km/h, with the speed increased by 1 km/h every 2 min until their heart rate reached 75% of the estimated maximum heart rate (MHR), after which an individualized constant-speed phase was performed. Peak fatigue state was determined by two criteria: heart rate reaching 90% of MHR and a Borg scale score of ≥17. Data were compared before and…
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Taxonomy
TopicsMuscle activation and electromyography studies · Sports Performance and Training · Lower Extremity Biomechanics and Pathologies
