Using Electromyography to Examine the Efficacy of Reflexive Performance Reset TM Procedures on the Biceps Femoris Muscle: A Pilot Study

Purpose: This pilot study examined the efficacy of Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) procedures using electromyography (EMG) techniques. Design: Thirty participants (16 males and 14 females, aged = 30+10.8 yrs) were connected to EMG equipment at the biceps femoris muscle and asked to fully step up and down on a step without support at a specific cadence. The participants were then introduced to an intervention consisting of diaphragmatic breathing and then undergoing a RPR reset. The participants then repeated the same physical activity that they performed prior to the intervention. The test and retest data were then compared. Results: Thirteen of the thirty participants expended significantly less energy in their retest performance after the intervention then they did in their initial test. IBM SPSS version 24 indicated F (1, 28) = 35.34, p = 0.000. Recommendation: Continue the examination of RPR with a larger study population, and revise the study design to include an additional recording of data between the diaphragmatic breathing and the RPR reset to determine the contribution of the two-component intervention.


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and athletes. It has become a popular therapeutic procedure to improve performance and reduce injuries of athletes in Midwest high schools, colleges, and universities. According to Leon Chaitow,

D.O. "Stimulation of cutaneous structures in skilled hands is
capable of producing marked sympathetic responses. It can remove pain, improve function, relieve stress, induce relaxation, enhance the body's economy, and greatly aid in healthy restoration without negative side effects [3,4]" The general consensus by coaches and trainers who utilize RPR procedures maintain that the hyper congested lymphatic centers account for loss of performance and increased injuries; and RPR is a proactive method for maintaining performance levels and reducing injuries. RPR techniques include diaphragmatic breathing and specific therapeutic massage techniques to eliminate the lymphatic congestion in the athletes. According to the RPR practitioners, this procedure accounts for less energy expenditure by the athlete to do the same work.
Up until this point, there has been little peer-reviewed research conducted examining the efficacy and value of RPR. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the efficacy of RPR procedures using electromyography (EMG) to observe the effects of the biceps femoris muscle in the hamstring group.

Participants
The participants consisted of 30 participants, 16 males and 14 females, from a convenience study. See Table 1 for a summary of the physical characteristics of the participants. The study was explained to the participants and what procedures were involved. The participants signed a project consent form before any procedure began. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of New Orleans.

Design
The participants were informed to wear loose fitting gym clothes and athletic shoes. The study was conducted in the exercise physiology lab on the campus of the University of New Orleans. Prior to collecting study data the participant was asked to subjectively rank their current stress level on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being completely relaxed and 10 being extremely stressed. This was done to determine the association of the participant's subjective stress level and the results of the current study using IBM SPSS statistical correlation methods.
Essentially, the study compared the energy expenditures of the participants stepping up and down a given height using their entire body weight without assistance for each step at a specific cadence.
The performance of the activity and the collection of data was done in the following manner: The participants were instructed to recline on his/her stomach. Two EMG leads were attached to the proximal and distal ends of the participant's biceps femoris muscle and a ground lead was attached above the proximal end of the biceps femoris and connected to the EMG equipment. IWorx iWire-B3G EMG cable leads along with an IWorx IXTA and associated Labscribe 4 software was used to collect and analyze the study data. The participants were asked to warm-up and stretch their hamstring muscles prior to data collection. The participant was asked to stand in front of a 4-inch step and place his/her foot of the wired leg at the top of the step. After telling the participant the study was ready to begin, the EMG was turned on and recording began.
Using a metronome operating at a rhythm of 60 "clicks" per minute, x kilograms x second-1)was recorded using the IWorx equipment system). The EMG recordings of the initial tests of the participants were saved for comparison of the retest data of the associated participants after the intervention.

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were removed and the participant was thanked for volunteering for the study.

Analysis
IBM SPSS version 24 was used for statistical analysis of the study.
One-way ANOVA and correlation analyses were applied to analyze the test and retest data generated from the IWorks equipment and its During the retest segment of the study the energy expenditure of each participant for the study's given workload at a specified time rate should not be less than the initial test energy expenditure.
If it is less than the initial energy expenditure the retest data would indicate a reduction of electrical resistance of the muscle, reflecting a more efficient contraction of the muscle [1,5,6]. Therefore, retest data of energy expenditures less than the initial data of energy expenditures indicate that the RPR intervention had a positive effect on the muscle. Retest data equal to or greater than the initial test data would indicate no effect on the muscle as a result of the RPR intervention.

Results
Thirteen (43.3%) of the thirty participants displayed less energy expenditure in their respective retest after the RPR procedure as compared to their initial energy expenditure. The energy expenditure difference (Retest energy expendituretest energy expenditure) from this group of thirteen indicated significantly lower statistical differences as compared to the group of seventeen that scored equal or higher energy expenditures after the RPR neurolymphatic procedure. One-way ANOVA analysis between the two groups' energy expenditure differences scored F(1,28) = 35.338, p = 0.000 with a level of significance set at p = 0.05. See Table 2. The assumption of homogeneity was met (Levene (1, 28) = 3.02, p = 0.097).Of the thirteen in that group five were female and eight were male. Correlational analysis of estimated stress levels compared to the test-retest energy expenditure differences were low (r = .192); and one-way ANOVA analysis between the same variables was

Discussion
The RPR procedure demonstrated significant statistical design along with a larger study population will hopefully yield a more in-depth understanding and efficacy of the neuro-lymphatic procedure referred to as Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR).