MUSCLE ACTIVITY OF THE STANCE KNEE IN ELITE RACE WALKERS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare knee muscle activity in race walkers with different knee extension patterns. Three international athletes walked over two force plates recording at 1000 Hz. Video data were simultaneously recorded at 100 Hz; the digitised data were combined with the force data to calculate net muscle moments and joint powers. EMG testing was carried out on three muscles which cross the knee. The two walkers with legal techniques had similar moment and power patterns, whereas the non-legal walker experienced a longer period of eccentric flexor moment at the beginning of stance, which may have affected his ability to extend his knee correctly. After this, all three athletes experienced a period of isometric contraction at the knee. Achieving correct technique requires both strength endurance exercises and mobility development.