Musculature

LEB 03

03.01 Electromyography (EMG) on the upper arm

What you can learn about
 Electromyogram
 Muscle contractions
 Biceps
 Muscle potentials
 Compound action potentials

Principle and tasks:

To prepare an electromyogram (EMG)
from a contracting or relaxing upper
arm muscle (biceps) using surface
electrodes. Measurement of the
frequency and the amplitude of the
EMG at maximum contraction.

What you need:

Cobra3 Basic Unit

12150.00

Power supply, 12 V

12151.99

RS232 data cable

14602.00

Cobra3 Universal Recorder software

14504.61

Bio-amplifier

65961.93

EMG electrodes, 3 off

65981.02

Electrode collecting cable

65981.03

Electrode cream, tube

65981.05

Connecting cord, 32 A, l = 25 cm, red

07360.01

Connecting cord, 32 A, l = 25 cm, blue

07360.04

Roll of adhesive tape (e.g. Elastoplast)

PC, Windows 95 or higher
Attaching the electrodes

Electromyography (EMG) on the upper arm

P4030111

Typical result

24 Laboratory Experiments, Biology

PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG D - 37070 Gttingen

LEB
03.01

Electromyography (EMG) on the upper arm

Related topics
Electromyogram, muscle contractions, biceps, muscle
potentials, compound action potentials
Principle and task
To prepare an electromyogram (EMG) from a contracting
or relaxing upper arm muscle (biceps) using surface electrodes. Measurement of the frequency and the amplitude
of the EMG at maximum contraction
Equipment
Cobra3 Basic Unit
Power supply, 12 V
RS232 data cable
Cobra3 Universal Recorder software
Bio-amplifier
EMG electrodes, 3 off
Electrode collecting cable
Electrode cream, tube
Connecting cord, 32 A, l = 25 cm, red
Connecting cord, 32 A, l = 25 cm, blue
Roll of adhesive tape (e.g. Elastoplast)
PC, Windows

12150.00
12151.99
14602.00
14504.61
65961.93
65981.02
65981.03
65981.05
07360.01
07360.04

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Procedure
Call up the COBRA3 MEASURE programme in Windows
Select the UNIVERSAL WRITER as measuring instrument
Put a little electrode cream on the electrodes and use
adhesive tape to attach them firmly to the upper arm
(biceps) in the succession as shown (Fig. 2)
Do not allow the green cable to hang down, but (to
reduce the interfering radiation) gather it together and
tape it firmly to the arm (with the other cables)
Set the bio-amplifier to 1000 times amplification and
EMG
Set the measurement parameters (see Fig. 3) and go
to measurement with CONTINUE and start MEASUREMENT

Briefly flex the muscle a few times during the measurement

Fig. 2: Attaching the electrodes

Set-up
Connect the instruments as shown in Fig. 1.
Connect the bio-amplifier AMPLIFIER OUT to Cobra3
AMPLIFIER IN 2 (red to + and blue to -)
Connect the electrode collecting cable to the bioamplifier AMPLIFIER IN
Fig. 1: Experimental set-up

Phywe Series of publication Laboratory Experiments Biology PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen

40301

33

LEB
03.01

Electromyography (EMG) on the upper arm

Results and evaluation

No large amplitudes are to be seen when the muscle
is at rest.
When the muscle is flexed, numerous large muscle
potentials (compound action potentials) are to be
seen (Fig. 4)

The frequency of the EMG is between 50 and 100 HZ

at maximum contraction. The amplitude of the EMG is
dependent on many factors, such as the attachment
of the electrodes, for example. It is 0.6 mV in the measurement shown (take the 1000 times amplification
into consideration!)

Fig 3: Measurement parameters

Fig. 4: Typical result

34

40301

Phywe Series of publication Laboratory Experiments Biology PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen