Bioelectrical activity of leg muscles while balancing on slippery surface in academic winter football

ˑ: 

Postgraduate Y.A. Gaevaya1
Postgraduate student Jiao Lu1
PhD student Xiao Feiyan1
Associate Professor A.A. Ilyin2
1National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk
2Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Tomsk

Corresponding author: a.zagrevskaya@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to study the bioelectrical activity of the leg muscles of academic winter footballers while balancing on a slippery surface.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were the 21-25 year-old (3rd-4th years of study) male students specializing in winter football (n=20). All subjects were asked to perform two attempts per exercise: "half-squat jump" with landing on the unstable platform Reebok Core Board RSP-21160. During the second attempt, the slide board GYMSTICK Power Slider 61131-PRO was attached to the 17 cm high platform. The slide board was 4.5 cm high. During the first attempt, the unstable platform was raised 21.5 cm high.

During the exercise, the bioelectrical activity of the following take-off leg muscles was recorded: calf muscle/ gastrocnemius (lateral and medial heads), rectus femoris, adductor longus. The bioelectric muscle activity was registered using a multifunctional computer complex "Neuro-MVP-4" (Neurosoft, Russia). The electrodes with the diameter of the electrically conductive surface of 1 cm2 and electrode spacing of 20 mm were used. The grounding electrode was placed on the opposite limb. The maximum and average bioelectrical activity amplitudes (µV), as well as the average frequency of bioelectric activity (Hz) were recorded. The statistical processing of the data obtained was carried out using the STATISTICA 10.0 software package.

Results and conclusions. The findings helped determine the main regularities in the lower limb muscle work organization of winter footballers while balancing on an unstable slippery surface.

All totaled, the results obtained suggest that it is the rectus femoris and calf muscles that are actively involved in the maintenance of equilibrium when jumping on a slippery surface, but the nature of their work changes significantly - the activity of the motor units is desynchronized, while the number of motor units involved grows. In contrast, the activity of the adductor longus in these conditions is decreased. According to the findings complex coordination skills when playing on a slippery surface are associated with the development of specific movement patterns. Special training programs are required to build the balancing skills and movement coordination of winter footballers.

Keywords: students, winter football, electromyography, muscles, movement coordination, body balancing skills.

Background. Most of the research aimed to increase the efficiency of play activity in football is focused on the metabolic needs; much less attention is paid to the peculiarities of the neuromuscular activity [5]. At the same time, movement coordination plays a major role in football [4]. Many authors insist on the importance of analysis of intermuscular coordination in developing football training methods [2, 6]. The significance of evaluation of the footballers' leg muscle performance according to their specialization [8] and load intensity [1, 7] is also shown.

In recent years, winter football has grown in popularity in the Siberian region, especially among students. This sport discipline demands higher standards of movement coordination and body balancing skills, as football is played on a slippery surface [3].

Objective of the study was to study the bioelectrical activity of the leg muscles of academic winter footballers while balancing on a slippery surface.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were the 21-25 year-old (3rd-4th years of study) male students specializing in winter football (n=20).

All subjects were asked to perform two attempts per exercise: "half-squat jump" with landing on the unstable platform Reebok Core Board RSP-21160. During the second attempt, the slide board GYMSTICK Power Slider 61131-PRO was attached to the platform. The height of the platform was 17 cm and that of the slide board - 4.5 cm. During the first attempt, the unstable platform was raised 21.5 cm high.

During the exercise, the bioelectrical activity of the following take-off leg muscles was recorded: calf muscle/ gastrocnemius (lateral and medial heads), rectus femoris, adductor longus. The bioelectrical muscle activity was registered using a multifunctional computer complex "Neuro-MVP-4" (made by Neurosoft Research and Production Company, Ivanovo, Russia). The electrodes with the diameter of the electrically conductive surface of 1 cm2 and electrode spacing of 20 mm were used. The grounding electrode was placed on the opposite limb. The maximum and average bioelectrical activity amplitudes (µV), as well as the average frequency of bioelectrical activity (Hz) were recorded.

The statistical processing of the data obtained was carried out using the STATISTICA 10.0 software package. The significance level in testing the hypothesis that two samples belonged to the same general population was estimated using the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test. The data is presented as Xavg±SE.

The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Biological Institute of Tomsk State University (Protocol No. 33 of 02 December 2019).

Results and discussion. The bioelectrical muscle activity rates are given in the table. The maximum EMG amplitude of the adductor longus when jumping on the slippery surface was half that of the rates obtained on the traditional surface. A similar trend was observed for the average EMG amplitude, which dropped by a factor of three when jumping on the slippery surface. There was also a 20% decrease in the frequency of the bioelectrical activity of the specified muscle. Thus, it can be concluded that the rate of contraction of the adductor longus is much lower when jumping on an unstable slippery surface than when jumping on a traditional one.

The maximum EMG amplitude of the rectus femoris when jumping on the slippery surface was 20% higher than on the traditional surface. At the same time, the average EMG amplitude when jumping on the slippery surface decreased by more than half. This decrease was accompanied by almost a twofold increase in the frequency of the bioelectrical activity of the specified muscle.

The maximum amplitude of the gastrocnemius contraction when jumping on the slippery surface was statistically significantly higher than on the traditional surface (more than twice for the medial head and by 30% for the lateral head). At the same time, the average EMG amplitude when jumping on the slippery surface decreased (by 60% for the median head and by 80% for the lateral head). As with the rectus femoris, this decrease was accompanied by the increase in the frequency of the bioelectrical activity of the specified muscle (65% for both heads).

Conclusions. The findings helped determine the main regularities in the organization of the lower limb muscle work of winter footballers while balancing on an unstable slippery surface.

All totaled, the results obtained suggest that it is the rectus femoris and calf muscles that are actively involved in the maintenance of equilibrium when jumping on a slippery surface, but the nature of their work changes significantly - the activity of the motor units is desynchronized, while the number of motor units involved grows (as evidenced by the increase in the maximum amplitude). In contrast, the activity of the adductor longus in these conditions is decreased.

The data obtained indicate that complex coordination skills when playing on a slippery surface are associated with the development of specific movement patterns. Special training programs are required to develop the balancing skills and movement coordination of winter footballers.

Table 1. Bioelectrical muscle activity rates during exercise (Xm±SE)

EMG rates

Maximum bioelectrical activity amplitude, µV

Average bioelectrical activity amplitude, µV

 

Average frequency of BA, Hz

Exercise on traditional surface

Exercise on slippery surface

Exercise on traditional surface

Exercise on slippery surface

Exercise on TS

Exercise on SS

Adductor longus of thigh

9024.3±91.9

4460.5±109.5

р <0.001

1530.5±36.9

472.8±21.7

р <0.001

65.2±4.5

42.7±3.1

р <0.05

Rectus femoris

10430.9±294.3

12408.5±273.3

р <0.05

1795.5±28.1

772.3±25.9

р <0.05

46.7±8.0

75.3±7.1

р <0.05

Medial gastrocnemius

5682.4±42.9

13082.5±78.1

р <0.001

1880.6±24.7

1257.5±24.7

р <0.05

36.7±3.2

59.9±4.1

р <0.05

Lateral gastrocnemius

6887.4±258.3

9692.7±125.6

р <0.05

1975.2±23.9

1098.3±29.0

р <0.05

37.9±2.0

55.2±2.4

р <0.05

Significance of intergroup differences: р – between the exercise performance rates on traditional and slippery surface.

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