Reproducibility of electromyography and ground reaction force during various running techniques

This study examined the validity of the assumption of electromyographic (EMG) and vertical ground reaction force (GRF) parameter reproducibility during running at different velocities and stride frequencies. Each of 12 female long distance runners ran on a treadmill in combinations of three velocities (2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 m/s) and three stride frequencies (preferred, +/-10% from preferred). Seven parameters from the GRF and five parameters from the EMG signals from five muscles of the lower extremity were evaluated (1000 Hz). The GRF was analysed by a pressure measuring insoles. A total number of three trials for each running condition were recorded. GRF parameters during all running conditions showed high intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC average 0.87). The ICC of the EMG parameters of gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis were high (r>0.69 in 73% of the data), while those for vastus lateralis (22%), hamstrings (42%) and tibialis anterior (51%) were clearly lower. The results revealed that GRF parameters were reproducible during all running techniques indicating that a single trial would provide reproducible GRF-data. The reproducibility of the EMG parameters was not influenced by the running technique but dependent on the parameter itself and on the muscle studied.