Electromyograph Processing Scheme For Quantification Muscle Workload in Use Suspended-Load Backpack during Running Activities

When carrying a backpack with a load, movement activities will cause an impact force that results in a greater loading force. A suspended-load backpack is believed to be a solution to reduce the impact force and minimize muscle workload. However, detailed investigations on how much the suspended-load backpack performance reduces the impact force on the muscle workload have not yet clear. In this research, a scheme for muscle workload evaluation using electromyography (EMG) is proposed to assess the backpack’s performance under variation loads (i.e., 0 kg, 5kg, and 10 kg) during running. Parameters for quantifying the EMG signal are time-frequency spectrogram and mean power spectral in the trapezius and erector spinae muscles. The evaluation of muscle fatigue levels based on the mean power spectral of using a suspended-load backpack and a backpack without suspension shows a significant difference at a walking speed of 3 km/hour with a load of 10 kg for both muscle points. At walking speed of 5 km/hour, it is siginificant at loads of 5 kg and 10 kg for the trapezius muscle, and for the erector spinae muscle, it is significant for all load variables. The difference in walking speed and the load applied to the backpack will significantly affect the suspended-load backpack performance and fatigue on the muscles. Also, the measured muscle point can affect the analysis of the significance levels depending on the muscle's characteristics.