The effects of surface inclination on gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis anterior muscle activation during gait.

Abstract

Inclined walking is associated with multiple musculoskeletal benefits and is considered a therapeutic exercise. Various patterns of increased and decreased muscle activation with inclined surfaces have been observed in normal muscles, with more focus on the proximal lower limb musculature. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in electromyographic activation of gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior at various inclined surfaces during gait. Fourteen healthy male participants aged between 17-30 years walked at a self-selected speed at motor driven treadmill on 0, 2 and 4 degrees of inclination. EMG activity of the muscles was recorded using the Delsys Trigno surface EMG system. Results showed that muscular activation of tibialis anterior significantly decreased with increase in the level of inclination (p< 0.05). However, soleus, gastrocnemius medialis and gastrocnemius lateralis showed no significant differences (p> 0.05) in their muscular activation, and no noticeable trends were found. Furthermore, no significant difference was found between all the muscles at ground level and inclined level 2 and 4. These differences in activation patterns found in distal extremity can be useful for designing rehabilitation protocols in sports training and for patients with neurological and musculoskeletal pathologies.