The Journal of Experimental Biology · 4 authors, 1 centre
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The central finding is that self-selected cadence increased with power demands, and muscle activation was minimized near the self-selected cadence at submaximal power outputs, suggesting muscle activation minimization drives cadence selection.
Fascicle shortening velocity increased progressively with cadence regardless of power demand, but at self-selected cadence it increased with power output (10.85 to 13.5 cm s⁻¹). A U-shaped relationship between cadence and EMG activation was observed, with the minimum shifting to higher cadences as power demands increased. Joint power distribution across joints remained largely unchanged across conditions. Minimization of muscle activation near self-selected cadence at submaximal power outputs suggests activation minimization is a key factor in cadence selection. Limitations include the restriction of fascicle velocity measurements to the vastus lateralis and the need for further simulation to generalize findings to larger muscle groups.
