CHANGES IN MUSCLE

ACTIVITY AND KINEMATICS

OF CYCLING DURING
FATIGUE
FATMAH ALHAJI & JUSTIN PILARSKI
BIOMECHANICS LAB
DECEMBER 15, 2014

CYCLING
Increase in cycling-related injuries
Repetitive Strain Injuries (IRS)

Injuries from repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, sustained or awkward positions

Non-Traumatic injuries 85%

Knee Pain most common 42% - 65%

BIOMECHANICS AND FATIGUE

Acute fatigue

Involves energetic, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, biomechanical, and physiological

factors

Muscle activity and joint kinematics have been studied the least
Fatigue may change muscle activation patterns
This may cause changes in kinematics

Possibly leads to poor or inadequate adaptations

BIOMECHANICS AND FATIGUE

Other experiments alterations in muscle activation and joint kinematics
Pre vs. Post
Non-monotonic progression
Subjects continually changed their movement strategies
Biomechanical changes from fatigue

Increase potential for injury

Protective strategies used to decrease injury

HYPOTHESIS

Subjects would exhibit varying non-monotonous changes in both movement

kinematics and muscle activity as fatigue progressed

EMG median frequency would decrease

Correlation between mean frequency decrease and movement kinematics

METHODS

Five minute trial of cycling on a stationary bike.

Try to maintain a specific velocity

METHODS

Subject marked with reflective markers

Record kinematics using 8 camera Vicon Motion Analysis System
Surface EMG electrodes (Delsys Trigno Wireless EMG) placed on selected lower
extremity muscles

METHODS

Vastus
lateralis

Gastrocnemi
us

Biceps femoris

Tibialis
anterior

METHODS

Analyze any difference in joint kinematics and examine if these correlate with
changes in muscle activity found from the mean frequency of selected muscles

DATA ANALYSIS
Kinetics:
1- Main muscle for biking are biceps
femoris and gastrocnemius.

Kinematics :
1- Main joints for biking are Knee and
Ankle joint.
2- Angels change:

2- Median frequency :

Biceps
femoris

Before

After
116.93
47.94

Before

After

Knee

73.025 HZ

71.25466
HZ

113.94
-47.63

Ankle

104.14 78.2
STD

Gastrocnem 118.6335
ius
HZ

110.7143
HZ

102.9
81.83
Angles
Difference
s

Max Knee
Angles

1.47

2.99

Min Knee
Angles

2.29

0.31

Max Ankle
Angles

0.97

1.24

Min Ankle
Angles

0.94

3.03

Electromyogram

Right and Left Muscles Activity

EMG Before
Fatigue

EMG After Fatigue

CONCLUSION
1- summery:

Experiments:

Methods

Results

Changing Muscle`s
activity and
kinematic of cycling
during fatigue.

Using EMG to detect

muscle activity and
Viocn software to
detect joins` angle.

Kinematics changes
resulted from
decreasing the
muscle force.

Errors:
1- Marker labeling error as a result of light reflection.
2- clothing and position blocks some markers.
3- Marker on bicycle.
4- Relative angles by using three points could be less accurate.

REFERENCE:
Changes in Muscle Activity and Kinematics of Highly Trained Cyclists During Fatigue, Jonathan B. Dingwell, 2008
file:///C:/
Users/falhaji/Desktop/Changes%20in%20Muscle%20Activity%20and%20Kinematics%20of%20Highly%20Trained%20C
yclists%20During%20Fatigue.pdf
The Relationship Between Electromyography and Muscle Force, Heloyse Uliam Kuriki.
http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/25852.pdf
Different Types of Bicycle Indoor Training Stands, Training on a Stationary Bicycle Stand.
http://www.bicycle-and-bikes.com/bicycle-indoor-training-stands.html
Anatomy, museummonger.
http://museummonger.com/tibialis-anterior /
Achilles Tendonitis and Posterior Heel PainApproach, Ben Keyes.
https://benkeyes.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/achilles-tendonitis-and-posterior-heel-pain-approach /
Biceps femoris of the hamstrings, FitnessUncoverd,
http://www.fitnessuncovered.co.uk/muscles/biceps-femoris-of-the-hamstrings