The Task Dependency of Spontaneous Rhythmic Performance in Movements Beyond Established Biomechanical Models: An Inertial Sensor-Based Study

Spontaneous rhythmic performance is a fundamental feature of human movement, well established in biomechanical models (EBMs) but less understood in complex physical fitness exercises (PFEs). This study examined the task dependency of spontaneous rhythmic performance across three EBMs (walking, hopping, finger tapping) and seven PFEs (hip abduction, back extension, sit-up, push-up, shoulder abduction, squat, lunge). A total of 15 men and 15 women performed each task at a self-selected pace while wearing inertial sensors. Measures included spontaneous motor tempo (SMT), temporal structure metrics, and their within- and between-trial individual variability (%CV) (ANOVA, SPSS 28.0, p ≤ 0.05). SMT was task-dependent, with EMB tasks being near ~2 Hz (walking: 1.82 ± 0.10 Hz; hopping: 2.08 ± 0.22 Hz; finger tapping: 1.89 ± 0.43 Hz) and PFEs being slower (0.36–0.68 Hz). Temporal structure mirrored these differences with shorter cycle and phase durations in EBM than PFE tasks, with relative phase durations consistently at about a 1:1 ratio. Τhe overall low %CV indicated stable performance (within-trial: 1.4–7.5%; between-trial: 0.5–7.8%). The results highlight the task dependency of SMT and temporal structure, as well as the robustness of an overarching internal timing framework supporting rhythmic motor control across diverse movement contexts.