Practice Effects on Coordination and Control, Metabolic Energy Expenditure and Muscle Activation

Brendan Lay, W.A. Sparrow, K.M. Hughes, N.J. O'Dwyer

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    132 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    One defining characteristic of skilled motor performance is the ability to complete the task with minimum energy expenditure. This experiment was designed to examine practice effects on coordination and control, metabolic energy expenditure, and muscle activation. Participants rowed an ergometer at 100 W for ten 16-min sessions. Oxygen consumption and perceived exertion (central and peripheral) declined significantly with practice and movement economy improved (reliably) by 9%. There was an associated but non-significant reduction in heart rate. Stroke rate decreased significantly. Peak forces applied to the ergometer handle were significantly less variable following practice and increased stability of the post-practice movement pattern was also revealed in more tightly clustered plots of hip velocity against horizontal displacement. Over practice trials muscle activation decreased, as revealed in integrated EMG data from the vastus lateralis and biceps brachii, and coherence analysis revealed the muscle activation patterns became more tightly coordinated. The results showed that practice reduced the metabolic energy cost of performance and practice-related refinements to coordination and control were also associated with significant reductions in muscle activation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)807-830
    JournalHuman Movement Science
    Volume21
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2002

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Practice Effects on Coordination and Control, Metabolic Energy Expenditure and Muscle Activation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this