Lower Limb Muscle Activities and Contractility During Stepping Response to Unexpected Waist-Pull Perturbations

Reactive balance responses, which involve corrective and protective strategies, are highly dependent on rapid muscle activation to restore postural stability. Although electromyography (EMG) is commonly used to measure muscle activity, it has limitations such as signal interference, particularly during fast responses to external disturbances. Ultrasound imaging (US), in contrast, provides visualization of both superficial and deep muscles. Combining EMG and US imaging offers complementary insight into muscle behavior during reactive balance tasks. In this study, we investigated muscle activation and fascicle length changes in the medial gastrocnemius (MGS), lateral gastrocnemius (LGS), and soleus (SOL) muscles of the dominant (stepping) leg during stepping responses to unexpected low-amplitude ($57.6 \pm 5.8 ~\mathrm{N}$) and high-amplitude ($123.4 \pm 11.1 ~\mathrm{N}$) waist-pull perturbations in the anterior and posterior directions. Five young male adults (age: $25.2 \pm 5.5$ years) participated in the study. Results showed that perturbation amplitude significantly affected the EMG activation of both the MGS and SOL muscles in both directions, consistent with previous studies. Similarly, perturbation amplitude impacted fascicle length shortening in the LGS and SOL muscles. Significant differences in MGS and SOL activation were observed between high-amplitude and lowamplitude perturbations in both directions. Fascicle shortening in the LGS also differed significantly between perturbation amplitudes, whereas SOL fascicle shortening did not. By combining EMG and US imaging within the same participants, this study provides new insights into the neuromuscular mechanisms underlying balance control. These findings may inform the development of improved control strategies for neurorehabilitation devices and fall-prevention systems.