Neuromuscular control strategies underpinning motor expertise in yoga: a biomechanical analysis of twisting poses in expert and novice practitioners

Background This study investigates the neuromuscular control strategies and motor expertise underlying complex yoga movements by comparing expert ( n = 17) and novice ( n = 17) female practitioners during two twisting poses: the Standing Twist (ST) and the Semi-Triangle Twist (STT). Methods Utilizing musculoskeletal modeling and surface electromyography (sEMG), we examined how internal coordination adapts to varying task demands. Results While the STT imposed significantly higher mechanical demands—evidenced by greater peak trunk rotation ( p < 0.001), higher peak moments ( p = 0.020), and increased erector spinae activation—the external kinematic performance did not distinguish experts from novices. Crucially, expertise was manifested at the neuromuscular level: experts exhibited a refined recruitment pattern characterized by higher rectus abdominis activation compared to novices (unadjusted p < 0.05), suggesting a more targeted core stabilization strategy. Furthermore, the lower-load ST pose induced a significantly higher lumbar co-activation ratio ( p = 0.015), indicating that muscular coordination efficiency is non-linearly related to task difficulty. Conclusion These findings suggest that motor expertise in yoga is not defined by observable movement outcomes, but by the optimization of internal motor representations and the strategic recruitment of musculature to manage spinal stability.