Wearable Wireless EMG Sensors for Monitoring Post-Error Neuromuscular Responses During a Sport-Specific Inhibitory
Mauricio Barramuño-Medina1, Pablo Valdés-Badilla2,3, Pablo Aravena-Sagardia4
1Kinesiology Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 4780000, Chile.
Biosensors
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Taekwondo athletes adjust muscle activation timing after errors, not by slowing down. This neuromuscular adaptation enhances performance in rapid kicking tasks without affecting overall reaction time.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Post-error slowing (PES) is a known behavioral marker of adaptation.
- Adaptive processes may involve subtle motor preparation changes, crucial in fast-paced sports like taekwondo (TKD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate post-error neuromuscular adjustments in taekwondo athletes during a kicking task.
- To compare muscle activation timing, amplitude, and co-contraction between standard and post-error trials.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight taekwondo athletes (novice and advanced) performed a Go/No-Go kicking task.
- Wearable surface electromyography sensors recorded lower-limb muscle activity.
- Linear mixed-effects models analyzed muscle onset latency, peak electromyographic amplitude, co-contraction indices, and reaction time.
Main Results:
- Post-error trials showed altered muscle onset latency in posterior lower-limb muscles (semitendinosus, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, soleus).
- Muscle activation occurred closer to foot take-off in post-error trials.
- No significant differences were found in reaction time, peak amplitude, or co-contraction; expertise and age did not influence results.
Conclusions:
- Error-related motor adjustments in taekwondo are primarily reflected in muscle activation timing, not behavioral slowing.
- Neuromuscular adaptations facilitate rapid motor execution following errors in this sport.
