Thomas, E.; Rossi, C.; Petrigna, L.; Messina, G.; Bellafiore, M.; Şahin, F.N.; Proia, P.; Palma, A.; Bianco, A.
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2023, 8, 40.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8020040

Upright bipedal posture is the physiological human posture; however, it is not the only possible form of human standing; indeed, an inverted position, a handstand, is required during gymnastics or other sports. Thus, this study aimed to understand the differences between the two standing strategies from a postural and neuromuscular perspective. Thirteen gymnasts with at least three years of sports experience underwent a baropodometric assessment and a surface electromyography (sEMG) examination in a
standard upright bipodalic stance and during a handstand. The sEMG examination was performed on the
gastrocnemius during an upright stance and on the flexor carpi radialis during the handstand. Limb weight
distribution presented differences between the two vertical stances (p < 0.01). During the handstand, the
weight ratio was prevalently observed on the palm of the hand for both hands with a significant difference
between the front and rear aspect of the hand compared to the standing tasks (p < 0.01). Normalized sEMG
amplitude showed significant differences during bipedal standing and hand standing; however, over a 5 s
period, the normalized median frequency (MDF) value was similar for the two tasks. Both standing tasks
presented similar postural weight managing patterns when analysed on the frontal plane, but they were
different on the sagittal plane. In addition, the neuromuscular patterns during a 5 s window differ in
amplitude but not for the frequency domain.