Identifier

etd-1115101-113559

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Kinesiology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Muscular activity and coordination may be influenced by movement speed and the inertial properties of the limbs. Some observed effects from investigations using cycling have been attributed to inertia, especially at greater pedaling speeds (cadences); however, in these investigations, movement speed and inertia were coupled. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to investigate and distinguish between the effects of cadence and inertial influences on lower extremity neuromuscular coordination during cycling. This was achieved by subjects cycling at different cadences and with different loads attached to the distal ends of their thighs. Electromyographic (EMG) data of seven lower extremity muscles were collected from sixteen university-aged males cycling at 250 W across three pedaling cadences (60, 80, and 100 rpm) and five loads (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kg). Onset, offset, duration, peak magnitude, and peak timing values from the EMG linear envelopes were calculated, as were cross-correlation coefficients and phase differences. Results showed that cadence manipulations affected the timing values of the muscles and the coordination of mono- and bi-articular antagonist pairs. Altering the inertial properties of the thigh produced changes only in peak magnitudes. These results led to the conclusion that movement speed effects have a greater influence on the lower extremity muscles during cycling than do inertial effects.

Date

2001

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Li Li

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.760

Included in

Kinesiology Commons

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