Based on the linked source; automatically prepared and checked against the original report.
Study design
Researchers assessed 16 male wheelchair-rugby players with cervical spinal cord injuries during 20 seconds of steady-state propulsion at 80% of maximal effort on a roller ergometer. Motion capture and surface electromyography recorded upper-limb movement and muscle activity. The analysis describes associations rather than treatment effects, and the source is an abstract summary rather than a full-paper review.
Four propulsion phases
Kinematic-muscular synergy analysis decomposed the data into three to four synergies. Cluster analysis identified four distinct patterns, with a highest silhouette value of 0.611. Researchers used these patterns to divide the propulsion cycle into Preparation, Catch/Pull, Push and Recovery phases, linking coordinated muscle recruitment with joint-motion patterns across the cycle.
Classification and trainability
Classification scores from 0.5 to 3.0 were associated with peak speed, push time and elbow-extension velocity after competitive level was controlled. Reported marginal R² values ranged from 0.351 to 0.463, while conditional R² values ranged from 0.780 to 0.819. Including competitive level improved model fit, suggesting training and experience contributed to performance differences within classification categories. The authors identified implications for training design and future refinement of functional-classification systems.
