Lower Limb Biomechanics of the Roundhouse Kick in Elite and Youth Taekwondo Athletes Using FPCA

Condition(s) studied

Study summary

This study aims to understand how the lower limbs (hip, knee, and ankle) function during a taekwondo roundhouse kick. Elite and youth taekwondo athletes will be compared to identify movement and muscle-activation patterns related to kicking performance. Participants will attend one testing session at Ludong University, China. During the session, participants will complete a standardized warm-up and then perform a series of roundhouse kicks. Body movement will be recorded using motion-analysis equipment, and muscle activity will be recorded using surface electromyography (EMG) sensors placed on the skin. These recordings will be used to examine how joint motion and muscle activation change over the kicking movement. The study is expected to involve minimal risk, similar to routine sports testing. Possible discomforts include temporary muscle fatigue or mild soreness. Participants may not receive direct benefit, but the findings may inform training and injury-prevention strategies for taekwondo athletes. All collected data will be kept confidential and analyzed without personal identifiers.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Lower-Limb Joint Angles During the Taekwondo Roundhouse Kick — Day 1
  Time-series hip, knee, and ankle joint angles (degrees) during standardized roundhouse kick trials. Waveform-based analyses (including FPCA) will compare elite and youth athletes.
• Lower-Limb Net Joint Moments During the Taekwondo Roundhouse Kick — Day 1
  Time-series net joint moments at the hip, knee, and ankle (Nm or normalized as Nm/kg) during standardized roundhouse kick trials. Waveform-based analyses (including FPCA) will compare groups.
• Ground Reaction Forces During the Taekwondo Roundhouse Kick — Day 1
  Time-series ground reaction forces (N or normalized as N/body weight) collected from force platforms during kick trials (e.g., vertical/anterior-posterior/medial-lateral components). Group comparisons will use waveform-based analyses (including FPCA).
• Surface EMG Amplitude Measures During the Taekwondo Roundhouse Kick — Day 1
  Surface EMG from selected lower-limb muscles recorded during kick trials. EMG amplitude outcomes include root mean square (RMS, µV) and integrated EMG (iEMG, µV·s), calculated over pre-specified phases of the kick. Comparisons will be made between elite and youth athletes.

Trial sites (1)

More Universiti Sains Malaysia trials in China