Ecological dynamics analysis of muscle synergies and self-organization in rhythmic gymnastics
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Muscle synergies can be conceptualized, within ecological dynamics, as a self-organizing process. Studying muscle synergies in rhythmic gymnastics (RG) jumps may provide insight into how intermuscular coordination is organized in response to interacting constraints. Ankle weights are frequently used in RG training with the aim of improving jumping performance, although they may influence lower-limb coordination. Evidence on muscle synergies during RG jumps remains limited; therefore, this exploratory study aimed to examine how intermuscular coordination is organized during split leaps performed with and without 0.5 kg ankle weights, while also assessing selected biomechanical outcomes. The sample included six competitive RG gymnasts (16.5 ± 2.7 years). Data were collected using an integrated multifactorial optoelectronic system. In both conditions, two muscle synergy modules were extracted, showing similar muscle contribution patterns, whereas temporal activation profiles showed inter-individual variability. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated strong correlations between conditions for both muscle contributions (|r| > .90) and temporal activations (.70 < |r| < .97). S2 vertical displacement and flight time showed no clear systematic differences between conditions. These preliminary findings suggest relative preservation of the recorded lower-limb coordination structure under the additional load, which may be compatible with functional robustness in response to the task constraint.
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