Comparison of synergistic control of selected lower limb muscles in runners with normal and planus feet

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Paper ID : 1144-12THCONG
Oral / Poster Presentation File: 1144-12THCONG.mp4 
Authors
Department of Sports Biomechanics, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan
Abstract
Central nervous system activates the muscles in groups and synergistically. Pesplanus or low medial longitudinal arch is one of the most common morphological conditions of the feet. Pesplanus is associated with differences in running mechanics. The effects of foot type on synergistic control of running is not well known. The aim of this study was to compare muscular synergies between runners with planus and normal feet.
20 male with low arch feet and 20 male with normal arch participated in this study. The EMG activity of the Tibialis Anterior, Peroneus Longus, Extensor Digitorum Longus, Soleus, Gastrocnemius Medialis, Gastrocnemius Lateralis, Vastus lateralis and Biceps Femoris muscles of the dominant leg were recorded during running in 3.3 m.s-1. Each participants ran barefoot for 20 times. Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (nmf) was used to extract muscle synergies and the VAF value was set at .9.
Using of nmf for extracting of synergies revealed that during running, each group control their muscles with five synergies. Each of the two groups use similar synergy activation patterns and the relative weight of the muscles in each synergies are not different between groups.
according to the results of this study, it could be concluded that central nervous system has similar strategies to control muscular synergies between two groups of this study. It can show similar control of central nervous system during running in population with different foot types, and shows that synergistic control of running is one of neutrally originated characteristics of central nervous system.
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