## 4 Discussion  
The primary finding of the present investigation was that a multi-joint isokinetic eccentric lower body leg press movement elicited significantly different muscle activation magnitudes across four distinct muscles of the lower limb. Unsurprisingly, the VL exhibited the highest magnitude of muscle activation compared to all other muscles during the multi-joint eccentric movement. In fact, VL activity was \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Skeletal Muscle** & **EMG RMS (\(\mu\)V)** & **iEMG (mV\(\cdot\)s)** \\ \hline Vastus Lateralis & 52.9 (22.1) & 377.6 (162.2) \\ Biceps Femoris & 10.8 (4.5)  & 78.4 (29.9)  \\ Tibialis Anterior & 26.6 (19.1)  \\ Medial Gastrocnemius & 15.4 (16.4)  \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Central tendency and dispersion data for the EMG RMS and iEMG variables across the four muscle groups. Figure 1: Eccentric-exercise-induced muscle activation box plots for (**A**) root mean square amplitude (RMS) and (**B**) integrated EMG (iEMG) for the four studied muscle groups. GM: Gastrocnemius Medialis; TA: Tibialis Anterior; VL: Vastus Lateralis; BF: Biceps Femoris. 1 denotes VL significantly greater than all other muscles (\(p<0.05\)); [FOOTNOTE:]Footnote : magnitudes of muscle activation compared to all other muscles (\(p<0. nearly twice as high as the next most active muscle, the TA, and was approximately five times greater than the least active muscle, the BF. This confirms the VL's role as one of the primary movers and substantially engaged muscles during the Eccentron exercise. What is perhaps more surprising, and less intuitive, is that the TA was the second most active muscle during this task, even higher than the GM. Given the nature of the leg's pushing action against the backward-moving pedals, one might expect the GM to be more engaged than the TA. However, the opposite was observed. This finding partially aligns with [PERSON] et al. [9] who reported variable lower leg muscle activation depending on foot placement during multi-joint leg press tasks, but direct comparisons remain limited since their study did not isolate the eccentric phase or quantify dorsiflexor activity. The reason that the TA was more active is not known, but it may be speculated that the TA is highly engaged for joint stabilization purposes, via coactivation of the ankle joint. Another plausible explanation is that the pushing motion against the pedal may naturally encourage individuals to drive more through the heel or midfoot, subtly lifting the toes and thereby activating the dorsiflexor muscle group. It should be noted that the activation of the TA, in this manner, would seem to be more isometric rather than eccentric in nature. This observation has important functional implications, as the TA may act to stabilize the ankle joint during the backward pedal movement by maintaining dorsiflexion control. Further research is warranted to determine the precise mechanisms underlying this rather unexpected TA engagement during the Eccentron exercise movement. From a training perspective, this finding is noteworthy: the dorsiflexors, particularly the TA, appear to be sufficiently activated during this exercise and as such would seem to indicate that additional exercises specifically targeting the TA may not be necessary in training programs that already include Eccentron-based exercise routines. Clinically, this finding is particularly relevant in populations affected by dorsiflexor weakness, such as older adults [19] and individuals with neurological conditions who often experience foot drop [20; 21]. Given that foot drop results from impaired TA activation and leads to gait dysfunction and fall risk, the incidental yet potentially sufficient activation of the TA during Eccentron exercise suggests its potential utility in rehabilitation protocols. This may reduce the need for supplementary dorsiflexor-specific exercises within comprehensive training programs.