Relationship between Lower Limb Muscle Activation Characteristics and Running Economy in Recreational Runners

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Running economy (RE) is crucial for endurance performance.
• Understanding the neuromuscular factors influencing RE is essential for optimizing training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between lower limb muscle activation, co-activation patterns, and running economy in male recreational runners.

Main Methods:

• Surface electromyography (sEMG) assessed muscle activation in key lower limb muscles.
• Agonist-antagonist co-activation ratios were calculated.
• Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships between muscle activity and RE.

Main Results:

• Increased activation of gluteus maximus, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, gastrocnemius, and soleus during stance phase correlated with improved RE.
• Higher rectus femoris and vastus lateralis activation during initial swing phase was linked to better RE.
• Specific co-activation patterns, like soleus-tibialis anterior during propulsion, and biceps femoris-vastus lateralis/gluteus maximus-rectus femoris during initial swing, showed negative correlations with RE.

Conclusions:

• Greater lower limb muscle activation during the stance phase is associated with enhanced running economy.
• Optimized muscle co-activation strategies during the swing phase, particularly involving posterior thigh muscles, are linked to improved running economy.