# Establishing Reference Data for Electromyographic Activity in Gait: Age and Gender Variations
## 4 Discussion
a common characteristic of developing gait patterns [24]. The increased peak hip flexion likely aids in advancing the limb during swing, compensating for the shorter stride length. This is supported by the increased rectus femoris activation in initial swing, which plays a crucial role in lifting and accelerating the limb forward [25]. The greater hamstring activation in the midstance suggests an increased demand for knee stability and control [26]. Given children's ongoing neuromuscular maturation and developing motor control, the hamstrings may play a compensatory role in stabilizing the knee and modulating joint moments to accommodate their altered gait mechanics. In contrast, adults exhibited different EMG and gait patterns, characterized by greater activation of the semimembranosus during initial contact, soleus during push-off, and rectus femoris during late swing, along with faster gait, increased knee flexion, hip extension, and ankle dorsi-plantar flexion power. In adults, increased semimembranosus activation at initial contact might be related to a higher knee flexion moment as a result of stabilizing the knee joint, controlling knee extension, and facilitating shock absorption [27]. Furthermore, the greater soleus activation during push-off indicates stronger plantar flexor engagement, which is essential for the efficient forward propulsion and faster gait observed in adults [17]. In children, reduced push-off mechanisms may necessitate compensatory adaptations, such as increased cadence and hip flexion, whereas adults achieve higher walking speeds through more effective force generation at the ankle. Additionally, increased coactivation in children may reflect ongoing maturation of the nervous system, with less refined motor control requiring coactivation of agonist and antagonist muscles for stability. Greater push-off forces in adults can be attributed to more mature neuromuscular control, greater muscle strength, and refined motor strategies [28]. Enhanced rectus femoris activation in late swing further suggests a refined control strategy for decelerating the limb before initial contact, optimizing positioning for the subsequent stance phase. These gait adaptations could reflect the influence of growth on developing motor control, leading to a smoother and more coordinated gait cycle. Gender-based differences in muscle activation patterns during gait have been well-documented in the literature [16; 28; 29]. In this study, females exhibited greater EMG activity in the tibialis anterior during the terminal stance and the vastus lateralis during pre- and initial swing, alongside increased hip flexion, hip extension, and ankle dorsiflexion power. These findings align with previous studies, which suggest that females walk with greater hip flexion and reduced knee extension at touchdown compared to males, generating more mechanical power at the hip and ankle during the propulsion phase [10]. Given their shorter height and leg length, females require a more flexed hip and plantarflexed ankle to generate sufficient power and compensate for their smaller physique while maintaining walking speed similar to males. Increased vastus lateralis activity in females, which was also observed in different dynamic tasks like side-step maneuvers and stop jumps [30; 31], may reflect the need for greater muscle engagement to sustain gait at the same speed as males, further supported by a higher hip flexion. Additionally, as [PERSON] et al. [16] reported, females tended to exhibit greater co-activation of the ankle muscles, which was also shown in our study by the increased ankle joint power in this group, contributing to improved stride length and cadence despite their smaller size. Increased activation of the tibialis anterior during the terminal stance likely plays a key role in controlling foot positioning and facilitating ankle dorsiflexion, which is crucial for toe clearance and preparation for the swing phase.