Kazem Esfandiarian-Nasab; Mansour Eslami; Fateme Salari-Esker; Rohollah Yousefpour
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 17 March 2025
Abstract
Background: As athletes develop their skills, their motor patterns shift from variable to adaptive neuromuscular control strategies, enabling the precise execution of complex movements. ...
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Background: As athletes develop their skills, their motor patterns shift from variable to adaptive neuromuscular control strategies, enabling the precise execution of complex movements. Traditional linear biomechanical analyses of wrestling techniques focus on average data points and often overlook the importance of motor pattern variability and nonlinear dynamic elements. Understanding these nonlinear dynamics in wrestling can enhance skill acquisition, injury prevention, and training optimization. This study is the first to apply multidimensional recurrence quantification analysis (MDRQA) of electromyography (EMG) signals to compare motor patterns in elite and sub-elite wrestlers during a shadow freestyle tie-up drill (SFTUD). This is an Original Research study.
Methods: EMG signals from the triceps, biceps, anterior deltoid, and latissimus dorsi muscles in the dominant upper limb were recorded during a 15-second SFTUD. Determinism (%DET) and laminarity (%LAM) assessed repeatability and stability, while diagonal (EntL) and vertical (EntV) entropy measured complexity and adaptability.
Results: Elite wrestlers exhibited significantly higher %DET and %LAM, indicating greater consistency in their motor patterns. Their elevated EntL and EntV values further suggest enhanced complexity and adaptability in neuromuscular control, reflecting the chaotic dynamics that contribute to superior performance.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of nonlinear motor pattern dynamics in understanding wrestlers’ skill development. By identifying expertise-related movement patterns through MDRQA, coaches, and practitioners can design targeted training programs that optimize performance and minimize injury risk.
