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The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of using surface electromyographic signals as a measure of muscle fatigue during the wheelchair propulsion. Subjects performed wheelchair exercise tests on a motor-driven treadmill with a constant-velocity of 1.25 m/sec. During each test, the raw EMG signals were acquired from the surface electrodes attached on the belly of five muscle groups: biceps brachii, pectoralis major, deltoid, triceps brachii, and trapezius. The median power frequency(MPF), and the root mean square(RMS) amplitude were calculated for each cyclic contraction in order to quantify muscle fatigue. During the wheelchair propulsion, the MPF decreased and the RMS increased in the trapezius and deltoid. However, the decreasing MPF and the increasing RMS also fluctuated severely during dynamic muscle contractions. Therefore, the MPF and RMS values should be estimated with well-designed methods and used with caution to quantify muscle fatigue during wheelchair propulsion.
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