Assessment by Surface Electromyography in International Football Players with Cerebral Palsy-A Pilot Study.

In para-sports, like Cerebral Palsy (CP) Football, athletes must meet a minimum impairment level to ensure fair competition. The classification process traditionally relies on subjective tools like the modified Ashworth Scale, but there is a need for more objective methods. Surface electromyography (EMG) offers quantifiable data on muscle activation, which could enhance the accuracy and fairness of classification in this sport. The aim of this study is to analyze muscle activation patterns in international CP football players compared to healthy controls, using surface electromyography (EMG). A cross-sectional, observational case-control study (following STROBE guidelines) was carried out. The final sample consisted of 40 subjects (20 subjects with CP from the Spanish National Team and 20 semi-professional able-bodied football players). The muscle activation of the soleus, adductor magnus, and biceps femoris was evaluated at baseline and in maximum isometric contraction in both dominant/unaffected and non-dominant/affected lower limbs. The main result of this study was that the affected lower limbs of the experimental group showed higher muscle activation at baseline compared to those of the control group ( < 0.001). On the other hand, when a maximum isometric contraction was requested, muscle activation was greater in the control group in both lower limbs. There was greater asymmetry between both muscle groups in the experimental group. Surface electromyography could be a useful tool to be used in the assessment of muscle activity in subjects with CP with an applicability in para-sport, making it possible to obtain differences between both hemispheres when there is upper motor neuron involvement.