Voluntary and Evoked Muscle Contractile Characteristics in Active Men and Women

1994 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Behm ◽  
Digby G. Sale

Eight men and 8 women were tested for voluntary and isometric evoked contractions of the dorsiflexors. Maximal voluntary contractions were conducted isometrically (30° plantarflexion) and isokinetically. Men produced greater peak torques at all but the highest isokinetic velocity. They exceeded women in measures of absolute voluntary isometric (33.8%), tetanic (46.3%), and twitch (37.9%) peak torque. Men demonstrated a higher tetanus/MVC ratio (17.8%). This ratio disparity would indicate that gender differences in peak torque in this study were more dependent upon muscle mechanisms. Although men exceeded women in measures of absolute voluntary maximum rate of torque development (MRTD) (38.7%), tetanic MRTD (39.1%), twitch MRTD (27.9%), voluntary maximum rate of torque relaxation (MRTR) (46.9%), and tetanic MRTR (41.9%), there were no significant gender differences in percentage rates of torque development or relaxation with voluntary or evoked contractions. Therefore the central and peripheral mechanisms controlling MRTD and MRTR may be similar between the sexes. Key words: gender strength differences, muscle contraction, rate of torque, tetanus, twitch

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e0119719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baptiste Morel ◽  
David M. Rouffet ◽  
Damien Saboul ◽  
Samuel Rota ◽  
Michel Clémençon ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 450-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Cesar Barauce Bento ◽  
Gleber Pereira ◽  
Carlos Ugrinowitsch ◽  
André Luiz Felix Rodacki

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 83-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Froyd ◽  
Fernando Gabe Beltrami ◽  
Jørgen Jensen ◽  
Timothy David Noakes

Abstract The aim of this study was to measure the extent to which potentiation changes in response to an isometric maximal voluntary contraction. Eleven physically active subjects participated in two separate studies. Single stimulus of electrical stimulation of the femoral nerve was used to measure torque at rest in unpotentiated quadriceps muscles (study 1 and 2), and potentiated quadriceps muscles torque in a 10 min period after a 5 s isometric maximal voluntary contraction of the quadriceps muscles (study 1). Additionally, potentiated quadriceps muscles torque was measured every min after a further 10 maximal voluntary contractions repeated every min (study 2). Electrical stimulation repeated several times without previous maximal voluntary contraction showed similar peak twitch torque. Peak twitch torque 4 s after a 5 s maximal voluntary contraction increased by 45±13% (study 1) and by 56±10% (study 2), the rate of torque development by 53±13% and 82±29%, and the rate of relaxation by 50±17% and 59±22%, respectively, but potentiation was lost already two min after a 5 s maximal voluntary contraction. There was a tendency for peak twitch torque to increase for the first five repeated maximal voluntary contractions, suggesting increased potentiation with additional maximal voluntary contractions. Correlations for peak twitch torque vs the rate of torque development and for the rate of relaxation were r2= 0.94 and r2=0.97. The correlation between peak twitch torque, the rate of torque development and the rate of relaxation suggests that potentiation is due to instantaneous changes in skeletal muscle contractility and relaxation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 924-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon John McKinlay ◽  
Phillip J. Wallace ◽  
Raffy Dotan ◽  
Devon Long ◽  
Craig Tokuno ◽  
...  

In explosive contractions, neural activation is a major factor in determining the rate of torque development, while the latter is an important determinant of jump performance. However, the contribution of neuromuscular activation and rate of torque development to jump performance in children and youth is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the rate of neuromuscular activation, peak torque, rate of torque development, and jump performance in young male athletes. Forty-one 12.5 ± 0.5-year-old male soccer players completed explosive, unilateral isometric and dynamic (240°/s) knee extensions (Biodex System III), as well as countermovement-, squat-, and drop-jumps. Peak torque (pT), peak rate of torque development (pRTD), and rate of vastus lateralis activation (Q30) during the isometric and dynamic contractions were examined in relation to attained jump heights. Isometric pT and pRTD were strongly correlated (r = 0.71) but not related to jump performance. Dynamic pT and pRTD, normalized to body mass, were significantly related to jump height in all 3 jumps (r = 0.38–0.66, p < 0.05). Dynamic normalized, but not absolute pRTD, was significantly related to Q30 (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). In young soccer players, neuromuscular activation and rate of torque development in dynamic contractions are related to jump performance, while isometric contractions are not. These findings have implications in the choice of training and assessment methods for young athletes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 609-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bareket Falk ◽  
Charlotte Usselman ◽  
Raffy Dotan ◽  
Laura Brunton ◽  
Panagiota Klentrou ◽  
...  

Muscle strength and activation were compared in boys and men during maximal voluntary elbow flexion and extension contractions. Peak torque, peak rate of torque development (dτ/dτmax), rate of muscle activation, and electromechanical delay (EMD) were measured in 15 boys (aged 9.7 ± 1.6 years) and 16 men (aged 22.1 ± 2.8 years). During flexion, peak torque was significantly lower in boys than in men (19.5 ± 5.8 vs. 68.5 ± 11.0 Nm, respectively; p < 0.05), even when controlling for upper-arm cross-sectional area (CSA), and peak electromyography activity. Boys also exhibited a lower normalized dτ/dτmax (7.2 ± 1.7 vs. 9.5 ± 1.6 (Nm·s–1)·(Nm–1), respectively; p < 0.05) and a significantly longer EMD (75.5 ± 28.4 vs. 47.6 ± 17.5 ms, respectively). The pattern was similar for extension, except that group differences in peak torque were no longer significant when normalized for CSA. These results suggest that children may be less able to recruit or fully utilize their higher-threshold motor units, resulting in lower dimensionally normalized maximal torque and rate of torque development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 699-706
Author(s):  
Jaqueline M. Porto ◽  
Sállua B. Spilla ◽  
Luciana M. Cangussu-Oliveira ◽  
Renato C. Freire Júnior ◽  
Ana Paula M. Nakaishi ◽  
...  

The objective was to determine whether trunk muscle function is influenced by the aging process and to identify if the trunk can be an important factor in older people’s falls over a period of 1 year. The peak torque, rate of torque development, and torque steadiness of the trunk extensors and flexors were compared between a young group, older group (older adults with no episodes of falls), and older faller group (older adults who had suffered at least one fall episode over a period of 1 year) by one-way analysis of variance, followed by the post hoc Tukey test. The adjusted multivariate linear regression was applied to verify the association between the number of falls and the trunk parameters in older adults. The young group showed higher extensors and flexors peak torque and rate of torque development, and lower extensor torque steadiness at 10% when compared with older groups. Only trunk flexor peak torque showed a negative association with the number of future falls (p = .042), but there was no difference in trunk muscle function between the older group and the older faller group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 519-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ty B. Palmer ◽  
Ryan M. Thiele

Context Constant-tension (CT) stretching has been used to reduce hamstrings passive stiffness; however, the time course of hamstrings stiffness responses during a short bout of this type of stretching and the effects on maximal and explosive strength remain unclear. Objective To examine the time course of hamstrings passive-stiffness responses during a short, practical bout of manual straight-legged–raise (SLR) CT passive stretches and their effects on maximal and explosive strength in healthy young women. Design Descriptive laboratory study. Setting Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Eleven healthy women (age = 24 ± 4 years, height = 167 ± 4 cm, mass = 65 ± 8 kg) participated. Intervention(s) Participants underwent four 15-second SLR CT passive stretches of the hamstrings. Main Outcome Measurement(s) Hamstrings passive stiffness was calculated from the slopes of the initial (phase 1) and final (phase 2) portions of the angle-torque curves generated before and after the stretching intervention and at the beginning of each 15-second stretch. Hamstrings peak torque and rate of torque development were derived from maximal voluntary isometric contractions performed before and after the stretching intervention. Results The slope coefficients (collapsed across phase) for the third and fourth stretches and the poststretching assessment were lower than the prestretching assessment (P range = .004–.04), but they were not different from each other (P &gt; .99). In addition, no differences in peak torque (t10 = −0.375, P = .72) or rate of torque development (t10 = −0.423, P = .68) were observed between prestretching and poststretching. Conclusions A short bout of SLR CT passive stretching may effectively reduce hamstrings stiffness without negatively influencing maximal and explosive strength.


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