Skin Cooling Alters the Activation Patterns of Different Heads of the Quadriceps

2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuta Kinugasa ◽  
Kazumasa Yoshida ◽  
Takayuki Watanabe ◽  
Kousuke Kuchiki ◽  
Akira Horii
Keyword(s):  
Isometric Force ◽  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Transverse Relaxation Time ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Skin Cooling ◽  
The Right

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of selective skin cooling over m. vastus lateralis (VL) on the activation patterns of quadriceps femoris muscle during knee extension exercise (KEE) using muscle function magnetic resonance imaging (mfMRI). The isometric force production of the right thigh was tested in 7 healthy young men at maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and the transverse relaxation time (T2) value was taken from mfMR images at rest and immediately after KEE with 4 sets of 10 repetitions at a load equal to 60% of their 10-rep maximum, with and without skin cooling. The cooling was carried out by ice pack on the surface of the skin of the VL for 3 min before resting mfMRI and MVC tests, and before KEE, during KEE, and during the KEE rest intervals. The percent change in T2 of the m. vastus intermedius was significantly increased by skin cooling in comparison to the change without skin cooling, p < 0.05. This result suggests that skin cooling alters the activation pattern of the different heads of the quadriceps. Key words: cold, mfMRI, synergy, recruitment, neuromuscular plasticity

scholarly journals Acute effect of tendon vibration applied during isometric contraction at two knee angles on maximal knee extension force production

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242324
Author(s):  
Jonathan Harnie ◽  
Thomas Cattagni ◽  
Christophe Cornu ◽  
Peter McNair ◽  
Marc Jubeau
Keyword(s):  
Isometric Contraction ◽  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Acute Effect ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Tendon Vibration ◽  
Knee Angle

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of a single session of prolonged tendon vibration combined with low submaximal isometric contraction on maximal motor performance. Thirty-two young sedentary adults were assigned into two groups that differed based on the knee angle tested: 90° or 150° (180° = full knee extension). Participants performed two fatigue-inducing exercise protocols: one with three 10 min submaximal (10% of maximal voluntary contraction) knee extensor contractions and patellar tendon vibration (80 Hz) another with submaximal knee extensor contractions only. Before and after each fatigue protocol, maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC), voluntary activation level (assessed by the twitch interpolation technique), peak-to-peak amplitude of maximum compound action potentials of vastus medialis and vastus lateralis (assessed by electromyography with the use of electrical nerve stimulation), peak twitch amplitude and peak doublet force were measured. The knee extensor fatigue was significantly (P<0.05) greater in the 90° knee angle group (-20.6% MVC force, P<0.05) than the 150° knee angle group (-8.3% MVC force, P = 0.062). Both peripheral and central alterations could explain the reduction in MVC force at 90° knee angle. However, tendon vibration added to isometric contraction did not exacerbate the reduction in MVC force. These results clearly demonstrate that acute infrapatellar tendon vibration using a commercial apparatus operating at optimal conditions (i.e. contracted and stretched muscle) does not appear to induce knee extensor neuromuscular fatigue in young sedentary subjects.

Alternate muscle activity observed between knee extensor synergists during low-level sustained contractions

2002 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 675-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoki Kouzaki ◽  
Minoru Shinohara ◽  
Kei Masani ◽  
Hiroaki Kanehisa ◽  
Tetsuo Fukunaga
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Rectus Femoris ◽  
Quadriceps Muscle ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Integrated Emg

To determine quantitatively the features of alternate muscle activity between knee extensor synergists during low-level prolonged contraction, a surface electromyogram (EMG) was recorded from the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis (VM) in 11 subjects during isometric knee extension exercise at 2.5% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for 60 min ( experiment 1). Furthermore, to examine the relation between alternate muscle activity and contraction levels, six of the subjects also performed sustained knee extension at 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% of MVC ( experiment 2). Alternate muscle activity among the three muscles was assessed by quantitative analysis on the basis of the rate of integrated EMG sequences. In experiment 1, the number of alternations was significantly higher between RF and either VL or VM than between VL and VM. Moreover, the frequency of alternate muscle activity increased with time. In experiment 2, alternating muscle activity was found during contractions at 2.5 and 5.0% of MVC, although not at 7.5 and 10.0% of MVC, and the number of alternations was higher at 2.5 than at 5.0% of MVC. Thus the findings of the present study demonstrated that alternate muscle activity in the quadriceps muscle 1) appears only between biarticular RF muscle and monoarticular vasti muscles (VL and VM), and its frequency of alternations progressively increases with time, and 2) emerges under sustained contraction with force production levels ≤5.0% of MVC.

Acoustic myography for investigating human skeletal muscle fatigue

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1422-1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Stokes ◽  
P. A. Dalton
Keyword(s):  
Isometric Force ◽  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Rectus Femoris ◽  
Quadriceps Muscle ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Fatigued Muscle ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acoustic Myography ◽  
Voluntary Contractions

Sounds produced during voluntary isometric contractions of the quadriceps muscle were studied by acoustic myography (AMG) in five healthy adults. With the subject seated, isometric force, surface electromyography (EMG), and AMG were recorded over rectus femoris, and the EMG and AMG signals were integrated (IEMG and IAMG). Contractions lasting 5 s each were performed at 10, 25, 50, 60, 75, and 100% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force. Fatigue was then induced by repeated voluntary contractions (10 s on, 10 s off) at 75% MVC until only 40% MVC could be sustained. After 15 min of rest, the different force levels were again tested in relation to the fresh MVC. Both before and after fatiguing activity the relationships between force and IEMG [r = 0.99 +/- 0.01 (SD), n = 10] and force and IAMG (r = 0.98 +/- 0.02) were linear. After activity, however, the slopes of the regression lines for force and IEMG increased (P less than 0.01) but those for force and IAMG remained the same (P greater than 0.05). The present results clarify the relationship between AMG and isometric force in fatigued muscle without the problem of fatigue-induced tremor, which hampered previous studies of prolonged activity. This study contributes to the validation of AMG and shows that it is a potentially useful method for noninvasive assessment of force production and fatigue. Further studies to establish the origin of AMG activity are required before AMG can be accepted for use in neuromuscular physiology or rehabilitation.

scholarly journals Exercise-Induced Fatigue in One Leg Does Not Impair the Neuromuscular Performance in the Contralateral Leg but Improves the Excitability of the Ipsilateral Corticospinal Pathway

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
Saied Jalal Aboodarda ◽  
Cindy Xin Yu Zhang ◽  
Ruva Sharara ◽  
Madeleine Cline ◽  
Guillaume Y Millet
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Neuromuscular Performance ◽  
Corticospinal Pathway ◽  
Neuromuscular Assessment ◽  
The Right

To investigate the influence of pre-induced fatigue in one leg on neuromuscular performance and corticospinal responses of the contralateral homologous muscles, three experiments were conducted with different exercise protocols; A (n = 12): a 60 s rest vs. time-matched sustained left leg knee extension maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), B (n = 12): a 60 s rest vs. time-matched left leg MVC immediately followed by 60 s right leg MVC, and C (n = 9): a similar protocol to experiment B, but with blood flow occluded in the left leg while the right leg was performing the 60 s MVC. The neuromuscular assessment included 5 s knee extensions at 100%, 75%, and 50% of MVC. At each force level, transcranial magnetic and peripheral nerve stimuli were elicited to investigate the influence of different protocols on the right (tested) knee extensors’ maximal force output, voluntary activation, corticospinal excitability, and inhibition. The pre-induced fatigue in the left leg did not alter the performance nor the neuromuscular responses recorded from the right leg in the three experiments (all p > 0.3). However, enhanced corticospinal pathway excitability was evident in the tested knee extensors (p = 0.002). These results suggest that the pre-induced fatigue and muscle ischemia in one leg did not compromise the central and peripheral components of the neuromuscular function in the tested contralateral leg.

scholarly journals The Effects of Spinal Manipulation on Motor Unit Behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Lucien Robinault ◽  
Aleš Holobar ◽  
Sylvain Crémoux ◽  
Usman Rashid ◽  
Imran Khan Niazi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Unit ◽  
Conduction Velocity ◽  
Spinal Manipulation ◽  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Position Sense ◽  
Joint Position Sense ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Passive Movement

Over recent years, a growing body of research has highlighted the neural plastic effects of spinal manipulation on the central nervous system. Recently, it has been shown that spinal manipulation improved outcomes, such as maximum voluntary force and limb joint position sense, reflecting improved sensorimotor integration and processing. This study aimed to further evaluate how spinal manipulation can alter neuromuscular activity. High density electromyography (HD sEMG) signals from the tibialis anterior were recorded and decomposed in order to study motor unit changes in 14 subjects following spinal manipulation or a passive movement control session in a crossover study design. Participants were asked to produce ankle dorsiflexion at two force levels, 5% and 10% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), following two different patterns of force production (“ramp” and “ramp and maintain”). A significant decrease in the conduction velocity (p = 0.01) was observed during the “ramp and maintain” condition at 5% MVC after spinal manipulation. A decrease in conduction velocity suggests that spinal manipulation alters motor unit recruitment patterns with an increased recruitment of lower threshold, lower twitch torque motor units.

Metabolic heat production during fatigue from voluntary repetitive isometric contractions in humans

1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 1323-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Saugen ◽  
N. K. Vollestad
Keyword(s):  
Energy Cost ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Isometric Exercise ◽  
Muscle Mechanics ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
O2 Uptake ◽  
Postexercise Recovery

The effect of repetitive isometric knee extensions on the energy cost of contraction was examined. The rate of temperature rise (dT/dt) was determined in test contractions at 30 and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force before and during 30% MVC repetitive isometric exercise (RIE) to exhaustion and regularly in a 30-min postexercise recovery period (n = 9). Pulmonary O2 uptake and muscle temperature (Tmus) were determined at regular intervals. During the 30% MVC test contractions, dT/dt was 5.6 +/- 0.6 mK/s in unfatigued muscle, increasing linearly by 68% during exercise. In the 50% MVC test contractions, dT/dt rose by 84% from 9.8 +/- 1.1 mK/s. dT/dt determined during test contractions at both force levels did not decrease significantly throughout the 30-min postexercise recovery period. The rise in dT/dt was paralleled by 76% increased in O2 uptake. In contrast, Tmus rose initially and then leveled off. The present data indicate that RIE induced a gradual rise in the rate of energy turnover associated with isometric force production. Neither increased Tmus nor recruitment of less economic type II fibers can fully explain the increased energy cost. We suggest that energetic changes may occur at the cellular level and argue that this may be associated with the changes in muscle mechanics occurring during fatigue from submaximal voluntary RIE.

Force fluctuations are modulated by alternate muscle activity of knee extensor synergists during low-level sustained contraction

2004 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 2121-2131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoki Kouzaki ◽  
Minoru Shinohara ◽  
Kei Masani ◽  
Tetsuo Fukunaga
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Frequency Component ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
High Frequency Component ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Force Fluctuations

The study examined the hypothesis that altered synergistic activation of the knee extensors leads to cyclic modulation of the force fluctuations. To test this hypothesis, the force fluctuations were investigated during sustained knee extension at 2.5% of maximal voluntary contraction force for 60 min in 11 men. Surface electromyograms (EMG) were recorded from the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis (VM) muscles. The SD of force and average EMG (AEMG) of each muscle were calculated for 30-s periods during alternate muscle activity. Power spectrum of force was calculated for the low- (≤3 Hz), middle- (4–6 Hz), and high-frequency (8–12 Hz) components. Alternate muscle activity was observed between RF and the set of VL and VM muscles. The SD of force was not constant but variable due to the alternate muscle activity. The SD was significantly greater during high RF activity compared with high VL and VM activity ( P < 0.05), and the correlation coefficient between the SD and AEMG was significantly greater in RF [0.736 (SD 0.095), P < 0.05] compared with VL and VM. Large changes were found in the high-frequency component. During high RF activity, the correlation coefficient between the SD and high-frequency component [0.832 (SD 0.087)] was significantly ( P < 0.05) greater compared with other frequency components. It is suggested that modulations in knee extension force fluctuations are caused by the unique muscle activity in RF during the alternate muscle activity, which augments the high-frequency component of the fluctuations.

Activation varies among the knee extensor muscles during a submaximal fatiguing contraction in the seated and supine postures

2003 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 1515-1522 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Rochette ◽  
S. K. Hunter ◽  
N Place ◽  
R Lepers
Keyword(s):  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Task Failure ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Extensor Muscles ◽  
Seated Posture ◽  
Knee Extensor Muscles

Ten young men sustained an isometric contraction of the knee extensor muscles at 20% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) torque on three separate occasions in a seated posture. Subjects performed an isometric knee extension contraction on a fourth occasion in a supine posture. The time to task failure for the seated posture was similar across sessions (291 ± 84 s; P > 0.05), and the MVC torque was similarly reduced across sessions after the fatiguing contraction (42 ± 12%). The rate of increase in electromyograph (EMG) activity (%MVC) and torque fluctuations during the fatiguing contractions were similar across sessions. However, the rate of increase in EMG differed among the knee extensor muscles: the rectus femoris began at a greater amplitude (31.5 ± 11.0%) compared with the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles (18.8 ± 5.3%), but it ended at a similar value (45.4 ± 3.1%). The time to task failure and increase in EMG activity were similar for the seated and supine tasks; however, the reduction in MVC torque was greater for the seated posture. These findings indicate that the time to task failure for the knee extensor muscles that have a common tendon insertion did not alter over repeat sessions as had been observed for the elbow flexor muscles (Hunter SK and Enoka RM. J Appl Physiol 94: 108-118, 2003).

A STUDY OF MODELS FOR HANDGRIP FORCE PREDICTION FROM SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY OF EXTENSOR MUSCLE

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (02) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wensheng Hou ◽  
Xiaolin Zheng ◽  
Yingtao Jiang ◽  
Jun Zheng ◽  
Chenglin Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root Mean Square ◽  
Surface Electromyography ◽  
Random Sequence ◽  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Force Level ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Mean Square Errors

Force production involves the coordination of multiple muscles, and the produced force levels can be attributed to the electrophysiology activities of those related muscles. This study is designed to explore the activity modes of extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) using surface electromyography (sEMG) at the presence of different handgrip force levels. We attempt to compare the performance of both the linear and nonlinear models for estimating handgrip forces. To achieve this goal, a pseudo-random sequence of handgrip tasks with well controlled force ranges is defined for calibration. Eight subjects (all university students, five males, and three females) have been recruited to conduct both calibration and voluntary trials. In each trial, sEMG signals have been acquired and preprocessed with Root–Mean–Square (RMS) method. The preprocessed signals are then normalized with amplitude value of Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC)-related sEMG. With the sEMG data from calibration trials, three models, Linear, Power, and Logarithmic, are developed to correlate the handgrip force output with the sEMG activities of ECRL. These three models are subsequently employed to estimate the handgrip force production of voluntary trials. For different models, the Root–Mean–Square–Errors (RMSEs) of the estimated force output for all the voluntary trials are statistically compared in different force ranges. The results show that the three models have different performance in different force ranges. Linear model is suitable for moderate force level (30%–50% MVC), whereas a nonlinear model is more accurate in the weak force level (Power model, 10%–30% MVC) or the strong force level (Logarithmic model, 50%–80% MVC).

The frequency of alternate muscle activity is associated with the attenuation in muscle fatigue

2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 715-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoki Kouzaki ◽  
Minoru Shinohara
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Vastus Lateralis ◽  
Rectus Femoris ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Sustained Contraction ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Before And After

Alternate muscle activity between synergist muscles has been demonstrated during low-level sustained contractions [≤5% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force]. To determine the functional significance of the alternate muscle activity, the association between the frequency of alternate muscle activity during a low-level sustained knee extension and the reduction in knee extension MVC force was studied. Forty-one healthy subjects performed a sustained knee extension at 2.5% MVC force for 1 h. Before and after the sustained knee extension, MVC force was measured. The surface electromyogram was recorded from the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis (VM) muscles. The frequency of alternate muscle activity for RF-VL, RF-VM, and VL-VM pairs was determined during the sustained contraction. The frequency of alternate muscle activity ranged from 4 to 11 times/h for RF-VL (7.0 ± 2.0 times/h) and RF-VM (7.0 ± 1.9 times/h) pairs, but it was only 0 to 2 times/h for the VL-VM pair (0.5 ± 0.7 times/h). MVC force after the sustained contraction decreased by 14% ( P < 0.01) from 573.6 ± 145.2 N to 483.3 ± 130.5 N. The amount of reduction in MVC force was negatively correlated with the frequency of alternate muscle activity for the RF-VL and RF-VM pairs ( P < 0.001 and r = 0.65 for both) but not for the VL-VM pair. The results demonstrate that subjects with more frequent alternate muscle activity experience less muscle fatigue. We conclude that the alternate muscle activity between synergist muscles attenuates muscle fatigue.

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