Zhang Xiaopei, Liu Gan, Jia Mengyao, Ma Yong
Engineering Research Center of Sports Health Intelligent Equipment of Hubei Province, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, China.
Key Laboratory of Sports Engineering of General Administration of Sports of China, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, China.
Front Physiol. 2025 Aug 29;16:1629653. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1629653. eCollection 2025.
The study aims to investigate the stability differences in the heel kick movement between Tai Chi athletes of different skill levels and explore the impact of Tai Chi training on postural control and stability.
The study recruited 16 Tai Chi athletes, who were divided into two groups based on their skill level: the Elite Group (EG, 8 athletes) and the Sub-Elite Group (SG, 8 athletes). While performing the heel kick movement, the athletes' kinematic data were captured using a Vicon motion capture system. The study compared the differences between the two groups by analyzing the changes in hip, knee, and ankle joint angles, and by using the SPM method. Additionally, the inter-group differences in center of mass (CoM) sway volume were also compared.
Significant differences in joint angles were observed, with EG showing greater stability in knee and ankle external rotation. During the knee-lifting phase, the CoM sway volume of the EG was significantly greater than that of the SG ( = 0.046), indicating larger postural adjustments in EG during this stage. No significant differences were found in the extension and recovery phases ( > 0.05).
EG demonstrate superior joint stability and more efficient postural control strategies during the heel kick, particularly in the preparation phase. These findings highlight the role of advanced neuromuscular coordination in enhancing movement stability, providing biomechanical evidence to inform high-performance Tai Chi training.
本研究旨在调查不同技能水平的太极拳运动员在足跟踢动作中的稳定性差异，并探讨太极拳训练对姿势控制和稳定性的影响。
本研究招募了16名太极拳运动员，根据他们的技能水平分为两组：精英组（EG，8名运动员）和次精英组（SG，8名运动员）。在进行足跟踢动作时，使用Vicon动作捕捉系统采集运动员的运动学数据。本研究通过分析髋、膝和踝关节角度的变化，并使用SPM方法，比较两组之间的差异。此外，还比较了两组在重心（CoM）摆动量方面的组间差异。
观察到关节角度存在显著差异，精英组在膝关节和踝关节外旋方面表现出更高的稳定性。在抬腿阶段，精英组的CoM摆动量显著大于次精英组（ = 0.046），表明在此阶段精英组的姿势调整更大。在伸展和恢复阶段未发现显著差异（ > 0.05）。
精英组在足跟踢过程中表现出卓越的关节稳定性和更有效的姿势控制策略，尤其是在准备阶段。这些发现突出了高级神经肌肉协调在增强运动稳定性中的作用，为高水平太极拳训练提供了生物力学依据。
