TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, Juliane A1 - Müller, Steffen A1 - Engel, Tilman A1 - Reschke, Antje A1 - Baur, Heiner A1 - Mayer, Frank T1 - Stumbling reactions during perturbed walking: Neuromuscular reflex activity and 3-D kinematics of the trunk - A pilot study JF - Journal of biomechanics N2 - Stumbling led to an increase in ROM, compared to unperturbed gait, in all segments and planes. These increases ranged between 107 +/- 26% (UTA/rotation) and 262 +/- 132% (UTS/lateral flexion), significant only in lateral flexion. EMG activity of the trunk was increased during stumbling (abdominal: 665 +/- 283%; back: 501 +/- 215%), without significant differences between muscles. Provoked stumbling leads to a measurable effect on the trunk, quantifiable by an increase in ROM and EMG activity, compared to normal walking. Greater abdominal muscle activity and ROM of lateral flexion may indicate a specific compensation pattern occurring during stumbling. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Trunk kinematics KW - Treadmill walking KW - Gait perturbation KW - EMG Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.09.041 SN - 0021-9290 SN - 1873-2380 VL - 49 SP - 933 EP - 938 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lesinski, Melanie A1 - Prieske, Olaf A1 - Demps, Marie A1 - Granacher, Urs T1 - Effects of fatigue and surface instability on neuromuscular performance during jumping JF - Der Schmerz : Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft zum Studium des Schmerzes, der Österreichischen Schmerzgesellschaft und der Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Schmerztherapie N2 - It has previously been shown that fatigue and unstable surfaces affect jump performance. However, the combination thereof is unresolved. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of fatigue and surface instability on jump performance and leg muscle activity. Twenty elite volleyball players (18 +/- 2 years) performed repetitive vertical double-leg box jumps until failure. Before and after a fatigue protocol, jump performance (i.e., jump height) and electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles were recorded during drop jumps (DJs) and countermovement jumps (CMJs) on a force plate on stable and unstable surfaces (i.e., balance pad on top of force plate). Jump performance (3-7%; P < 0.05; 1.14 <= d <= 2.82), and muscle activity (2-27%; P < 0.05; 0.59 <= d <= 3.13) were lower following fatigue during DJs and CMJs, and on unstable compared with stable surfaces during DJs only (jump performance: 8%; P < 0.01; d = 1.90; muscle activity: 9-25%; P < 0.05; 1.08 <= d <= 2.54). No statistically significant interactions of fatigue by surface condition were observed. Our findings revealed that fatigue impairs neuromuscular performance during DJs and CMJs in elite volleyball players, whereas surface instability affects neuromuscular DJ performance only. Absent fatigue x surface interactions indicate that fatigue-induced changes in jump performance are similar on stable and unstable surfaces in jump-trained athletes. KW - Exhaustion KW - stretch-shortening cycle KW - jump height KW - EMG KW - athlete. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12548 SN - 0905-7188 SN - 1600-0838 VL - 26 SP - 1140 EP - 1150 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mueller, Juliane A1 - Engel, Tilman A1 - Mueller, Steffen A1 - Kopinski, Stephan A1 - Baur, Heiner A1 - Mayer, Frank T1 - Neuromuscular response of the trunk to sudden gait disturbances: Forward vs. backward perturbation JF - Journal of electromyography and kinesiology N2 - The study aimed to analyse neuromuscular activity of the trunk comparing four different perturbations during gait. Thirteen subjects (28 +/- 3 yrs) walked (1 m/s) on a split-belt treadmill, while 4 (belt) perturbations (F1, F2, B1, B2) were randomly applied. Perturbations differed, related to treadmill belt translation, in direction (forward (F)/backward (B)) and amplitude (20 m/s(2) (1)/40 m/s(2) (2)). Trunk muscle activity was assessed with a 12-lead-EMG. EMG-RMS [%] (0-200 ms after perturbation; normalized to RMS of normal gait) was analyzed for muscles and four trunk areas (ventral left/right; dorsal left/right). Ratio of ventral: dorsal muscles were calculated. Muscle onset [ms] was determined. Data analysis was conducted descriptively, followed by ANOVA (post hoc Tukey-Kramer (alpha = 0.05)). All perturbations lead to an increase in EMG-RMS (428 +/- 289%). F1 showed the lowest and F2 the highest increase for the flexors. B2 showed the highest increase for the extensors. Significant differences between perturbations could be observed for 6 muscles, as well as the 4 trunk areas. Ratio analysis revealed no significant differences (range 1.25 (B1) to 1.71 (F2) between stimuli. Muscle response time (ventral: 87.0 +/- 21.7 ms; dorsal: 88.4 +/- 17.0 ms) between stimuli was only significant (p = 0.005) for the dorsal muscles. Magnitude significantly influences neuromuscular trunk response patterns in healthy adults. Regardless of direction ventral muscles always revealed higher relative increase of activity while compensating the walking perturbations. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Stumbling KW - Gait perturbation KW - EMG KW - Core KW - MiSpEx* Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2016.07.005 SN - 1050-6411 SN - 1873-5711 VL - 30 SP - 168 EP - 176 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER -