An investigation of differences in lower extremity surface electromyography signals between basketball athlete students and ordinary college students

Purpose: To explore the types of motor units and the intensity of neuromuscular contractions involved in jumping performance of athletes of different performance levels. Root mean square (RMS) amplitude was used to reflect the contraction intensity of muscle activity, to analyze the differences in electromyography (EMG) signals between athlete students and ordinary college students during jumping performance, and to analyze the differences in muscle signal recruitment between them two groups of test subjects in the counter movement jump (CMJ) test. Methods: Twelve outstanding basketball athletes above the second level and twelve ordinary college students were recruited from Nanning Normal University. The RMS values of the rectus femoris (RF), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius (GAS), and soleus (SO) during the counter movement jump were recorded using the Delsys surface electromyography analyzer. Independent sample t-tests were performed using SPSS 26.0 software to compare the RMS values of the two groups of subjects during the counter movement jump, and to compare the differences in muscle activity contractions between the two groups. The significance level was set at (p <.05). Results and Discussion: Results and discussion: In the first stage of the countermovement jump, the two groups of subjects: gastrocnemius (P = 0.03) and soleus (P = 0.004) showed significant differences. At this stage, ordinary college students may require more strength from the gastrocnemius and soleus to improve lower limb stability and maintain starting posture. The muscle coordination ability of ordinary college students is lower than that of athlete students, which leads to significant differences in the EMG signals of these two muscles. In the second stage: the rectus femoris (P = 0.02) and gastrocnemius (P = 0.03) showed significant differences. The rectus femoris is located in the anterior thigh muscle. Ordinary college students require maximum thigh power output when jumping vertically, and the rectus femoris contributes more force to maintaining body stability in ordinary college students than that of athlete students. The gastrocnemius contracts strongly during vertical jumping, resulting in plantar flexion of the ankle. Ordinary college students produce a stronger downward thrust than athlete students, which may be related to the lower ankle stability of ordinary college students than that of elite college students. In the third stage: the rectus femoris (P = 0.005) and soleus (P = 0.02) showed significant differences. The EMG signal of the rectus femoris of ordinary college students was stronger upon landing, suggesting that ordinary college students may use more thigh strength to maintain body stability at this stage. Conclusion: There are differences in the neuromuscular control ability of the rectus femoris muscle, tibialis anterior muscle, gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle at different jumping stages during jumping performance between athlete students and ordinary college students.