Table 4 The within-group comparison of lower limb muscle activity (mean RMS) between mask-on and mask-off conditions in unload stage and incremental exercise stage, respectively

 VM

μV

16.29 ± 6.56

19.23 ± 9.73

0.223

20.31 ± 6.41

21.39 ± 8.77

0.638

 RF

μV

24.64 ± 16.90

24.78 ± 15.39

0.952

25.41 ± 10.86

26.85 ± 7.84

0.611

 VL

μV

28.87 ± 13.49

27.93 ± 11.61

0.791

31.59 ± 13.98

32.68 ± 12.31

0.593

 TA

μV

50.54 ± 23.64

39.44 ± 10.58

0.055

52.09 ± 19.05

53.96 ± 16.73

0.728

 ST

μV

18.92 ± 13.79

14.94 ± 7.91

0.207

22.56 ± 19.71

19.82 ± 9.20

0.587

 BFCL

μV

21.20 ± 8.69

24.11 ± 7.67

0.265

25.75 ± 10.83

25.17 ± 11.01

0.876

 MG

μV

24.76 ± 7.00

24.35 ± 8.76

0.856

29.91 ± 13.67

32.83 ± 17.19

0.462

 LG

μV

32.00 ± 20.26

30.29 ± 15.49

0.755

33.14 ± 13.26

26.35 ± 10.60

0.140

 VM

μV

65.36 ± 15.15

76.46 ± 19.04

0.031

51.50 ± 15.33

49.77 ± 17.10

0.556

 RF

μV

53.72 ± 26.48

54.92 ± 27.67

0.800

39.01 ± 10.36

42.69 ± 10.76

0.279

 VL

μV

75.19 ± 30.63

72.05 ± 15.36

0.721

68.21 ± 23.12

67.13 ± 17.74

0.792

 TA

μV

60.26 ± 16.86

53.21 ± 13.70

0.074

57.04 ± 18.86

58.75 ± 18.61

0.778

 ST

μV

35.89 ± 25.91

32.28 ± 14.02

0.474

36.58 ± 23.71

30.26 ± 9.17

0.242

 BFCL

μV

35.68 ± 15.21

38.38 ± 10.45

0.384

35.85 ± 13.06

35.82 ± 11.27

0.994

 MG

μV

30.86 ± 12.03

33.67 ± 16.13

0.380

34.84 ± 15.12

36.40 ± 21.54

0.698

 LG

μV

36.46 ± 17.47

37.30 ± 15.84

0.854

35.30 ± 10.80

30.23 ± 12.01

0.257