Electromyographic Analysis of Elite Para Table Tennis Players with Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury during Forehand Loop and Backhand

Introduction. Para table tennis is a popular sport among individuals with disabilities, and each Paralympic sport has its own classification system. This classification aims to minimize the impact of impairments caused by disability on athletic performance. In the present study, the electromyographic variables of the muscles involved in perform- ing the forehand loop and backhand techniques of elite para table tennis players with complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries in the class 5 category were compared. Material and methods. A total of 20 male participants who compete at the national level were selected using the convenience sampling method. According to the ASIA scale, the participants were divided into two groups of 10 people. The first group complet- ed spinal cord injury, while the second group had incomplete spinal cord injury. After entering the laboratory, the electrodes were attached to their deltoid, biceps, external oblique, and erector spinae muscles using the SENIAM protocol. After attaching the electrodes, the tasks were performed and muscles’ EMG activity, as well as their onset and offset contraction were monitored. For data analysis, the signals were first filtered, then rectified, and the level of muscle activity was measured using the RMS (Root Mean Square) method. In addition, for signal normalization, the submaximal contrac- tion method, which is more suitable for individuals with impairments, was used. Results. The findings revealed that there are significant differences in the amount of EMG activity as well as the timing of the onset and offset of contraction of selected muscles in two groups of complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries. A significant difference in the deltoid muscle was observed between the two groups during both the forehand loop and backhand movements. Conclusions. The findings suggest that athletes with incomplete spinal cord injuries may perform better than those in the complete group. However, current para table tennis classification rules place both groups in the same class, which could impact the outcome of matches.