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High-density electromyography activity in various hamstring exercises.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019 Jan; 29(1):34-43.SJ

Abstract

Proximal-distal differences in muscle activity are rarely considered when defining the activity level of hamstring muscles. The aim of this study was to determine the inter-muscular and proximal-distal electromyography (EMG) activity patterns of hamstring muscles during common hamstring exercises. Nineteen amateur athletes without a history of hamstring injury performed 9 exercises, while EMG activity was recorded along the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles using 15-channel high-density electromyography (HD-EMG) electrodes. EMG activity levels normalized to those of a maximal voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) were determined for the eccentric and concentric phase of each exercise and compared between different muscles and regions (proximal, middle, distal) within each muscle. Straight-knee bridge, upright hip extension, and leg curls exhibited the highest hamstrings activity in both the eccentric (40%-54%MVIC) and concentric phases (69%-85%MVIC). Hip extension was the only BF-dominant exercise (Cohen's d = 0.28 (eccentric) and 0.33 (concentric)). Within ST, lower distal than middle/proximal activity was found in the bent-knee bridge and leg curl exercises (d range = 0.53-1.20), which was not evident in other exercises. BFlh also displayed large regional differences across exercises (d range = 0.00-1.28). This study demonstrates that inter-muscular and proximal-distal activity patterns are exercise-dependent, and in some exercises are affected by the contraction mode. Knowledge of activity levels and relative activity of hamstring muscles in different exercises may assist exercise selection in hamstring injury management.

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Publisher Full Text (DOI)

Authors+Show Affiliations

Hegyi A
Neuromuscular Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.
Csala D
Department of Biomechanics, University of Physical Education, Budapest, Hungary.
Péter A
Neuromuscular Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.
Finni T
Neuromuscular Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.
Cronin NJ
Neuromuscular Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.

MeSH

AdultAthletesElectromyographyExerciseHamstring MusclesHipHumansIsometric ContractionKneeMaleRange of Motion, ArticularTorqueYoung Adult

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

30230042

Citation

Hegyi, András, et al. "High-density Electromyography Activity in Various Hamstring Exercises." Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, vol. 29, no. 1, 2019, pp. 34-43.
Hegyi A, Csala D, Péter A, et al. High-density electromyography activity in various hamstring exercises. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019;29(1):34-43.
Hegyi, A., Csala, D., Péter, A., Finni, T., & Cronin, N. J. (2019). High-density electromyography activity in various hamstring exercises. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29(1), 34-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13303
Hegyi A, et al. High-density Electromyography Activity in Various Hamstring Exercises. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019;29(1):34-43. PubMed PMID: 30230042.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - High-density electromyography activity in various hamstring exercises. AU - Hegyi,András, AU - Csala,Dániel, AU - Péter,Annamária, AU - Finni,Taija, AU - Cronin,Neil J, Y1 - 2018/10/04/ PY - 2018/06/19/received PY - 2018/09/07/revised PY - 2018/09/12/accepted PY - 2018/9/20/pubmed PY - 2019/1/8/medline PY - 2018/9/20/entrez KW - heterogeneous activity KW - injury reduction KW - rehabilitation SP - 34 EP - 43 JF - Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports JO - Scand J Med Sci Sports VL - 29 IS - 1 N2 - Proximal-distal differences in muscle activity are rarely considered when defining the activity level of hamstring muscles. The aim of this study was to determine the inter-muscular and proximal-distal electromyography (EMG) activity patterns of hamstring muscles during common hamstring exercises. Nineteen amateur athletes without a history of hamstring injury performed 9 exercises, while EMG activity was recorded along the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles using 15-channel high-density electromyography (HD-EMG) electrodes. EMG activity levels normalized to those of a maximal voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) were determined for the eccentric and concentric phase of each exercise and compared between different muscles and regions (proximal, middle, distal) within each muscle. Straight-knee bridge, upright hip extension, and leg curls exhibited the highest hamstrings activity in both the eccentric (40%-54%MVIC) and concentric phases (69%-85%MVIC). Hip extension was the only BF-dominant exercise (Cohen's d = 0.28 (eccentric) and 0.33 (concentric)). Within ST, lower distal than middle/proximal activity was found in the bent-knee bridge and leg curl exercises (d range = 0.53-1.20), which was not evident in other exercises. BFlh also displayed large regional differences across exercises (d range = 0.00-1.28). This study demonstrates that inter-muscular and proximal-distal activity patterns are exercise-dependent, and in some exercises are affected by the contraction mode. Knowledge of activity levels and relative activity of hamstring muscles in different exercises may assist exercise selection in hamstring injury management. SN - 1600-0838 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/30230042/High_density_electromyography_activity_in_various_hamstring_exercises_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -