The contribution of lower leg muscles during vertical jump: An electromyographic study

Introduction: Electromyography is the technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. Surface Electromyography (sEMG) is the evaluation of muscle function by analysing the electrical signals originated from muscular contraction. Vertical jumping is a critical movement in many sports, requiring complex coordination and significant muscular power. Understanding the activation patterns of muscles during a vertical jump is essential for enhancing athletic performance and preventing injuries. Objective: To analyse the contribution of the lower leg muscles during vertical jump.Materials and Methods: Delsys Avanti Trigno EMG Sensors and the ADM Labchart 8.0 software was used to capture the activation data of the lower leg muscles i.e. Medial and Lateral Gastrocnemius muscles, Soleus and Tibialis Anterior while performing vertical jump. Normalisation of activation was performed for each muscle using Maximal Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC). The EMG signals were converted to Root Mean Square (RMS), the data was expressed as the percentage of MVIC. The data was presented through descriptive, ANOVA and Correlation statistics. Findings and Conclusions: The m. Soleus showed the highest activation, and TA showed the least activation compared to Gastrocnemius. The left extremity muscles showed more activation, most probably due to the left extremity being more powerful but was not statistically significant. When muscles were paired on the right and left sides, TA showed significant difference. The study is not conclusive regarding the difference in activation between muscles. Further studies could be done regarding the role of muscles during the concentric and eccentric phase of the vertical jump.