Mechanical power flow changes during multijoint movement acquisition

We investigated the differences in mechanical power flow in early and late practice stages during a cyclic movement consisting of upper arm circumduction to clarify the change in mechanical energy use with skill acquisition. Seven participants practiced the task every other day until their joint angular movements conformed to those of an expert. During the practice sessions, participants' motions were digitally recorded once a week using four high-speed infrared cameras, and the joint kinematics and joint powers of the right arm were calculated. With practice, the inflow power derived from the net joint force increased at the hand, forearm, and upper arm segments by 143.1 +/- 17.2%, 57.1 +/- 7.3%, and 198.1 +/- 35.4%, respectively. In contrast, the power caused by the muscle joint moments was not significantly increased. These results suggested that participants acquired a motor pattern promoting transfer of the joint reaction forces. Results may provide some support for Bernstein's (1967) ideas that skill acquisition involves improving movement efficiency by greater use of nonmuscular forces.