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Effects of pennation angle, electrodes orientation and knee angle on surface electromyography of vastus lateralis during isometric contractions

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Abstract

Purpose

The effects of pennation angle (PA), electrode orientation (EO) and knee angle (KA) on the amplitude of electromyography signal (EMG) of vastus lateralis muscle (VL) were investigated.

Methods

Seventeen participants (8 men and 9 women; 26.5 ± 5.1 years; 64.4 ± 12.3 kg; 1.66 ± 0.09 m) accomplished isometric tests at four contraction intensities (COI): 25, 50, 75 and 100% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), with KA at 90° and 120°. PA was measured at rest and during contractions. One pair of electrodes was aligned with PA of relaxed VL fibers (pair 1) and another (pair 2) was 20° internally rotated to pair 1. The EMG root mean square (RMS) was calculated and later corrected (RMSC) using equations including PA and 20° angle.

Results

PA increased with COI (p < 0.001), but was not influenced by KA. Both RMS and RMSC were higher with KA at 90° than 120° (p < 0.01). RMS, but not RMSC were higher from pair 1 in COI at 50 and 75% MVC (p < 0.05). Correlations between outcomes obtained with pair 1 and pair 2 were stronger for RMSC (r = 0.99; p < 0.001) than RMS (r = 0.93; p < 0.01). No effect of KA or COI was detected for RMS or RMSC expressed as %MVC (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The PA can be used to improve RMS estimation and further expressed as %MVC maybe promisor in EMG–force related issues. Association between EMG and PA appears to be dependent on their relation to COI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EEFD, Lab. De Biomecânica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 540. Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-599, Brazil

    Felipe Torres Miranda Oliveira & Carlos Gomes de Oliveira

  2. LABSAU, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Walace David Monteiro & Paulo Farinatti

  3. PGCAF, Universidade Salgado de Oliveira, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

    Walace David Monteiro & Paulo Farinatti

Authors
  1. Felipe Torres Miranda Oliveira
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  2. Carlos Gomes de Oliveira
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  3. Walace David Monteiro
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  4. Paulo Farinatti
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Correspondence to Carlos Gomes de Oliveira.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Oliveira, F.T.M., de Oliveira, C.G., Monteiro, W.D. et al. Effects of pennation angle, electrodes orientation and knee angle on surface electromyography of vastus lateralis during isometric contractions. Sport Sci Health 13, 591–597 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-017-0388-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-017-0388-z

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