Lower-limb surface electromyographic differences in roundhouse kicks between elite and sub-elite taekwondo athletes: a functional principal component analysis

Le résumé fourni par la source

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the functional characteristics and distinctions in lower-limb electromyography (EMG) time-series data during roundhouse kicks performed by elite (n = 10) and sub-elite (n = 10) Taekwondo athletes, using Functional Principal Component Analysis (FPCA) to extract key parameters and identify critical phases of movement. Methods EMG signals from 16 lower-limb muscles were collected via a Noraxon system synchronized with Vicon 3D motion capture. Group differences in integrated EMG (iEMG) were assessed using ANOVA, and muscles showing significant differences were further analyzed with FPCA (smoothing parameter e −7 ; eigenvalues >1; cumulative variance >85%). Results Elite athletes demonstrated significantly higher iEMG values in specific muscles of both the supporting and kicking legs (p < 0.05). FPCA revealed higher scores for selected muscle components in the supporting and kicking legs among elite athletes (p < 0.05, ES = 0.64, R 2 = 92.6%; p < 0.05, ES = 0.66, R 2 = 88.8%; p < 0.01, ES = 0.53, R 2 = 94.8%). Notably, PC5 of the biceps femoris in the kicking leg was prominent during the kicking phase, while PC 4 of the gluteus maximus and biceps femoris in the supporting leg was critical during the recovery and end phases. Conclusion These findings highlight muscle-specific contributions that differentiate kick quality between top-level and average athletes. FPCA offers a novel framework to assess movement quality, providing insights for technique improvement and supporting the development of automated performance evaluation systems in combat sports.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.