and EMG Activity Kinetics During Moderate and Severe Constant Work Rate Exercise in Trained Cyclists
The purpose of this study was to compare O2 uptake [Formula: see text] and muscle electromyography activity kinetics during moderate and severe exercise to test the hypothesis of progressive recruitment of fast-twitch fibers in the explanation of the [Formula: see text] slow component. After an incremental test to exhaustion, 7 trained cyclists (mean ± SD, 61.4 ± 4.2 ml•min−1•kg−1) performed several square-wave transitions for 6 min at moderate and severe intensities on a bicycle ergometer. The [Formula: see text] response and the electrical activity (i.e., median power frequency, MDF) of the quadriceps vastus lateralis and vastus medialis of both lower limbs were measured continuously during exercise. After ∼2 to 3 min of exercise onset, MDF values increased similarly during moderate and severe exercise for almost all muscles whereas a [Formula: see text] slow component occurred during severe exercise. There was no relationship between the increase of MDF values and the magnitude of the [Formula: see text] slow component during the severe exercise. These results suggest that the origin of the slow component may not be due to the progressive recruitment of fast-twitch fibers. Key words: median power frequency, O2 uptake, recruitment of fast-twitch fibers, [Formula: see text]slow component