Hasan Sözen

Surface Electromyography in Sports and Exercise

Performance and ability tests enable the success in education of sports and exercise. Various exercise equipments are used in test protocols that are developed for this goal. The reason to use various kinds of exercise equipments for performance measurement is that every equip‐ ment and protocol cause different responses in human body. The cause for evolution of different physiological responses is about the different shapes and densities of different muscles. In this very respect, the electromyographic measurements gain great importance.

Comparison of muscle activation during elliptical trainer, treadmill and bike exercise

The purpose of this study is to compare muscle activation during elliptical trainer (ET), treadmill (TM) and bike (B) exercise. Twenty three voluntary and healthy male athletes (age, 20.65±1.65 years; weight, 74.21±7.21 kg; height, 180.69±5.31 cm; Body Mass Index, 22.4±1.5) participated in our study. Study protocol was decided for three days. Measures were taken by using elliptical trainer on the first day, treadmill on the second day and bicycle device on the third. Exercise devices were run with 65% metabolic pulse for six minutes and at the end of the sixth minute, surface electrodes were placed on Biceps Brachii, Triceps Brachii, Pectoralis Major and Trapezius of upper extremity muscle and on Gastrocnemius, Vastus Lateralis, Rectus Femoris and Gluteus Maximus of lower extremity muscles and Electromyography (EMG) activities were measured. According to the finding of the study, it has been found out that all of the measured upper extremity muscle were more activated by elliptical trainer compared to treadmill and bike exercise (p<0.05). Also, it has been found out that Gastrocnemius and Gluteus Maximus of lower extremity muscle were more activated by treadmill compared to other exercise devices (p<0.05). Rectus Femoris muscle was more activated by elliptical trainer compared to bike exercise (p<0.05). EMG results of Vastus Lateralis did not show any statically differences (p>0.05). In conclusion, due to the advantage of more upper extremity muscle activation, it has been thought that elliptical trainer is a device to be able to be used in rehabilitation and exercise science.

Training Status and Gender Effects on Sternocleidomastoid and Abdominal Muscles Activity During Curl-Up Exercise with Different Respiratory Cycle

Objective: This study aims to investigate sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) during curl-up exercise with different inspiration and expiration cycle among subject with different training status and gender, and the abdominal muscles in the targeted area. Methods: 24 healthy subjects volunteered to participate in the study. The data were gathered from bilateral SCM, rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO) and transversus abdominis/internal oblique (TrA/IO) muscles via surface electromyography (EMG). Results: The analysis of all the data gathered from the participants shows that the muscle activation in EO right, TrA/IO right, TrA/IO left and RA right during curl-up exercise with expiration is higher than activation during curl-up exercise with inspiration. A comparison of sedentary and mean scores of participants during curl-up exercise with expiration did not reveal any significant difference. A comparison of mean scores of men and women during curl-up exercise with expiration showed that the scores derived from females’ EO left and RA right muscles is higher than the scores derived from the same muscles group of males. However, when the average scores of male and female participants in the curl-up movement with inspiration were compared, the scores derived from the same muscle group of females is higher than that of males’. Conclusion: As there is no difference between genders and the contraction rates of SCM muscle, no gender-specific suggestions can be made about respiration during curl-up for the health of neck and cervical zone