Comparison of EMG activity and step characteristics of different running incremental protocols

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the electromyographic signal and the stride frequency and length among different intensities of running: 60%, 80% and 100% of maximum speed in two incremental protocols. The study included 11 male runners. The protocols were performed with initial running speed of 10 km.hr-1, with increments of 1 km.hr-1 at every three minutes until exhaustion. The two protocols differed in the interval between each incremental stage: 30 to 120 seconds. We analyzed RMS values of the iliocostalis lumbar, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius lateralis, and the stride length and frequency. The RMS values showed an increase among intensities for almost all muscles, and were not influenced by the type of protocol used for most muscles. The contribution of stride length and frequency were percentile different as the running speed increased.