Evaluation of Maximal Isometric Muscle Forces as Function of Lower Limb Configuration and Crank Angle during Cycling

INTRODUCTION Modeling of the relationships between neural signals, muscle forces and movement kinematics are important aspects of human motor control and such models might be applied in medical rehabilitation. We develop a model for generation of appropriate muscle forces to maintain a desired configuration or to change the actual configuration of a limb. For this reason in the present paper cycling lower limb movements are studied. One issue is the generation of joint torques by artificial activation of muscle groups. The same stimulation of a given muscle results different joint torques depending on the actual crank angle and on the configuration of the limb. Here we present how maximal isometric force of knee extensors depends on the crank angle during cycling lower limb movements performed on a recumbent bike.