IS BALANCE OR POSTURE AT THE END OF A VOLUNTARY MOVEMENT PROGRAMMED

Two leg movements, differing only by the final balance conditions, were analysed to determine whether the final body posture or the equilibrium were taken into account by the motor programming. The test movement was a flexion-extension of a lower limb executed at maximal velocity. The initial body posture was bipedal, while the final one was either bipedal or unipedal. The biomechanical and electromyographic data showed significant differences between parameters of the two movements. The results indicate that the final body equilibrium is the major parameter controlled.