Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an exercise program (consisting of agility, balance, and coordination exercises) on the gastrocnemius muscle activation in young athletes on two different surfaces, sand (sea sand) and tartan (athletics track).
Materials and methods
Sixty-five young (15–17 years old) athletes (51% male, 49% female) were voluntarily included in this study. The participants were randomly divided into two groups as sand exercise group (SEG; n = 34) and tartan exercise group (TEG; n = 31). Participants were subjected to a 4-week (3 days) training program on the sand and tartan surfaces in addition to their normal athletic training. Participants were asked to perform an isometric plantar flexion movement at maximum strength with a stationary Active Force 2 hand dynamometer. During this movement, the participants’ gastrocnemius muscle activation was determined using Neurotrac Myoplus Pro surface electromyography (sEMG) biofeedback device with electrodes placed on the gastrocnemius muscle before and after the 4-week training program.
Results
In the gastrocnemius muscle of the right leg, significant increases in average EMG activation were observed in the post-test compared to the pre-test (p
Description
This study investigates the impact of exercise on muscle activation in young athletes.