EMG for Strength Coaches

As strength and conditioning coaches, much of what we do involves training the neuromuscular system. Consequently, the more we can learn about the way the neuromuscular system works to produce force and coordinated movement the better we can train our athletes. One of the tools used to monitor the neural input to muscles is electromyography (EMG). EMG can be a confusing area because the signal is affected by so many different things, including well-known things like muscle fiber size and the number of muscle fibers, and less well-known things like body fat and blood flow. While much of the EMG research may be of interest to the strength and conditioning community, it's important to understand what exactly it is and what it measures so that research isn't misinterpreted. Hopefully this article will shed some light on EMG misnomers. . . . (to read the remainder of this article, please log in below.)