Hamstrings and quadriceps muscle contributions to energy generation and dissipation at the knee joint during stance, swing and flight phases of level running.

Abstract

Human movements involve the generation and dissipation of mechanical energy at the lower extremity joints. However, it is unclear how the individual knee muscles contribute to the energetics during running. This study aimed to determine how each hamstring and quadricep muscle generates and dissipates energy during stance, swing and flight phases of running. A three-dimensional lower extremity musculoskeletal model was used to estimate the energetics of the individual hamstrings (semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris long and short-heads) and quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis) muscles for a male subject during level running on a treadmill at a speed of 3.96 m/s. Our findings demonstrated that the knee flexors generated energy during stance phase and dissipated energy during swing phase, while the knee extensors dissipated energy during the flexion mode of both stance and swing phases, and generated energy during the extension mode. During flight phase, the knee flexors generated energy during the flight phase transiting from toe-off to swing, while the knee extensors generated energy during the flight phase transiting from swing to heel-strike. Individual knee flexors and extensors in the hamstrings and quadriceps play important roles in knee joint energetics, which are necessary for proper execution and stabilization of the stance, swing and flight phases of running.