{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,29]],"date-time":"2026-06-29T17:14:27Z","timestamp":1782753267611,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754438400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Shanghai Key Lab of Human Performance (Shanghai University of sport)","award":["11DZ2261100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["11DZ2261100"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aims to investigate asymmetries in muscle activation and co-contraction of main lower limb muscles during flamenco Zap-3 footwork with consideration of the footwork speed and dancer proficiency. Twelve flamenco dancers participated, including six professionals and six amateurs. Each participant performed the Zap-3 sequence under three speed conditions: 160 beats per minute (bpm), 180 bpm and the fastest speed level (F). The normalized surface electromyography was recorded in the gastrocnemius medialis (GM), biceps femoris (BF), tibialis anterior (TA) and rectus femoris (RF) in the dominant (DL) and non-dominant leg (NDL). The co-contraction index was also calculated for selected muscle pairs. The results showed that significant asymmetries occurred only in professional dancers and exclusively at the F speed level. Specifically, the value of the GM in the NDL was higher than that of the DL (p &lt; 0.05, d = 1.97); the value of the BF in the DL was higher than that of the NDL (p &lt; 0.05, d = 1.86) and the co-contraction index of BF\/RF in the DL was higher than that of the NDL (p &lt; 0.05, d = 1.87). Understanding these asymmetries may help to inform individualized training strategies aimed at optimizing performance and reducing potential risks.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s25154829","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T10:13:51Z","timestamp":1754475231000},"page":"4829","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Asymmetry in Muscle Activation and Co-Contraction Between Lower Limb During Zap-3 Flamenco Footwork"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2282-7960","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ningyi","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Performing Arts Research Group, Faculty of Sport, San Antonio Catholic University, 30107 Murcia, Spain"},{"name":"Telethusa Centre for Flamenco Research, 11004 C\u00e1diz, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4888-2930","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sebasti\u00e1n","family":"G\u00f3mez-Lozano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Performing Arts Research Group, Faculty of Sport, San Antonio Catholic University, 30107 Murcia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8424-6854","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ross","family":"Armstrong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rehabilitation and Healthy Lives Research Group, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria, Carlisle CA1 2HH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1793-0015","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hui","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomechanics Laboratory, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-3372-818X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ce","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1222-6133","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alfonso","family":"Vargas-Mac\u00edas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Telethusa Centre for Flamenco Research, 11004 C\u00e1diz, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"708","article-title":"An\u00e1lisis del baile flamenco: Cargas de trabajo y condici\u00f3n f\u00edsica (Analysis of Flamenco Dance: Workloads and Physical Condition)","volume":"11","year":"2011","journal-title":"Rev. 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