The Effect of Exercise Intensity on Muscle Activity and Kinematic Variables of the Lower Extremity during Squat

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine how exercise intensity affects muscle activity and kinematic variables during squat. Method: Fifteen trainers with >5 years of experience were recruited. For the electromyography (EMG) measurements, four surface electrodes were attached to both sides of the lower extremity to monitor the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris. Three digital camcorders were used to obtain three-dimensional kinematics of the body. Each subject performed a squat in different conditions (40% one-repetition maximum [40%1RM], 60%1RM, and 80%1RM). For each trial being analyzed, three critical instants and two phases were identified from the video recording. For each dependent variable, one-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to determine whether there were significant differences among the three different conditions (p<.05). When a significant difference was found, post hoc analyses were performed using the contrast procedure. Results: The results showed that the average integrated EMG values of the RF were significantly greater in 80%1RM than in 40%1RM during the extension phase. The temporal parameter was significantly longer in 80%1RM than in 40%1RM and 60%1RM during the extension phase. The joint angle of the knee was significantly greater in 80%1RM than in 40%1RM at flexion. The range of motion of the knee was significantly less in 80%1RM than in 40%1RM and 60%1RM during the flexion phase and the extension phase. The angular velocity was significantly less in 80%1RM than in 40%1RM and 60%1RM during the extension phase. Conclusion: Generally, the increase of muscle strength decreases the pace of motion based on the relation between the strength and speed of muscle. In this study, we also found that the increase of exercise intensity may contribute to the increase of the muscle activity of the RF and the running time in the extension phase during squat motion. We observed that increased exercise intensity may hinder the regulation of the range of motion and joint angle. It is suitable to perform consistent movements while controlling the proper range of motion to maximize the benefit of resistance training.