Affiliations: [a] Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Inonu
University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Malatya, Turkey | [b] Department of Physical Training and Sport, Inonu
University, Faculty of Education, Malatya, Turkey | [c] Department of Physiology, Inonu University, Faculty of
Medicine, Malatya, Turkey | [d] Department of Neurology, Inonu University, Turgut Ozal
Medical Center, Malatya, Turkey
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Kadir Ertem, M.D., Department of
Orthopedics and Traumatology, Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center,
44315 Malatya, Turkey. Tel.: +90 422 341 06 60 (5110); Fax: +90 422 341 07 28;
E-mail: kertem@inonu.edu.tr
Abstract: In this study, we investigated the effects of different skills of
sport on electromyography (EMG) of limb muscles in sportsmen. Two different
skill groups of sport consisted of 10 soccer players who use extensively lower
limb, and 10 handball, basketball and volleyball players with selectively high
usage of the upper limb. Surface EMG (sEMG) were recorded from the abductor
pollicis brevis and gastrocnemius muscles of subjects. In addition, Hoffmann
reflex (H-reflex) were recorded from the lower limb of participants. EMG
findings of two groups were compared with each other and age-sex matched
sedentary controls. Amplitude and area of sEMG recorded from gastrocnemius
muscle of handball-basketball-volleyball players were significantly higher than
those of soccer players (p<0.01 and
p<0.05), whereas not significantly different based on the
abductor pollicis brevis (p>0.05 in both). F-response of
both muscles and H-reflex of handball-basketball-volleyball players were also
significantly higher from those of soccer players and control group
(p<0.05 for all), whereas only F-response of gastrocnemius
muscle of soccer player was significantly lower than that of control group
(p<0.05). We conclude that EMG amplitude of gastrocnemius
muscle, F-response and H-reflex times of lower limbs increase in
handball-basketball-volleyball players due to the nature of training skills.
Volleyball, handball or basketball training contributes to neuromuscular
differences in both upper and lower extremities more than football training
because both extremities are extensively used in these sport categories.
