Aging reduces the maximal level of peripheral fatigue tolerable and impairs exercise capacity

2020 ◽  
Vol 319 (6) ◽  
pp. R617-R625
Author(s):  
Slim Zarzissi ◽  
Mohamed Amine Bouzid ◽  
Firas Zghal ◽  
Haithem Rebai ◽  
Thomas J. Hureau
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Young Group ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Critical Force ◽  
Fatigue Threshold ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Maximal Level

The aim of the present study was to determine the magnitude of the maximal level of peripheral fatigue attainable (fatigue threshold) during an all-out intermittent isometric knee-extensor protocol in both younger (24 ± 1 yr, n = 12) and older (60 ± 2 yr, n = 12) participants to provide new insights into the effects of aging on neuromuscular function. Participants performed two experimental sessions, in which they performed 60 maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs; 3 s of contraction, 2 s of relaxation). One trial was performed in the unfatigued state (CTRL) and one other following fatiguing neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the quadriceps (FNMES). Peripheral fatigue was quantified via pre/postexercise decrease in quadriceps twitch force (∆Ptw). Critical force (CF) was determined as the mean force output of the last 12 contractions, whereas W′ was calculated as the area above CF. Although FNMES led to a significant decrease in Ptw before performing the 60-MVCs protocol ( P = 0.024), ∆Ptw was not different between CTRL and FNMES for both the young group ( P = 0.491) and the old group ( P = 0.523). However, this peripheral fatigue threshold was significantly greater in young versus old participants (∆Ptw = −48 ± 10% vs. −29 ± 13%, respectively, P = 0.028). In CTRL, W′ was 55 ± 13% lower in the old group than in the young group ( P < 0.001), but CF was similar (326 ± 10 N vs. 322 ± 12 N, respectively, P = 0.941). ∆Ptw was correlated with W′, independently of age ( r2 = 0.84, P < 0.001). Exercise performance decreases with aging consequent to a lower tolerance to peripheral fatigue. However, the peripheral fatigue threshold mechanism persists with healthy aging and continues to play a protective role in preserving locomotor muscle function during exercise.

scholarly journals Fatigue reduces the complexity of knee extensor torque during fatiguing sustained isometric contractions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Pethick ◽  
Mark Burnley ◽  
Samantha Lee Winter
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Femoral Nerve ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Approximate Entropy ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Fluctuation Analysis ◽  
Isometric Contractions ◽  
Scaling Exponent

The temporal structure, or complexity, of muscle torque output reflects the adaptability of motor control to changes in task demands. This complexity is reduced by neuromuscular fatigue during intermittent isometric contractions. We tested the hypothesis that sustained fatiguing isometric contractions would result in a similar loss of complexity. To that end, nine healthy participants performed, on separate days, sustained isometric contractions of the knee extensors at 20% MVC to task failure and at 100% MVC for 60 seconds. Torque and surface EMG signals were sampled continuously. Complexity and fractal scaling were quantified by calculating approximate entropy (ApEn) and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) α scaling exponent. Global, central and peripheral fatigue were quantified using maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) with femoral nerve stimulation. Fatigue reduced the complexity of both submaximal (ApEn from 1.02 ± 0.06 to 0.41 ± 0.04, P &lt; 0.05) and maximal contractions (ApEn from 0.34 ± 0.05 to 0.26 ± 0.04, P &lt; 0.05; DFA α from 1.41 ± 0.04 to 1.52 ± 0.03, P &lt; 0.05). The losses of complexity were accompanied by significant global, central and peripheral fatigue (all P &lt; 0.05). These results demonstrate that a fatigue-induced loss of torque complexity is evident not only during fatiguing intermittent isometric contractions, but also during sustained fatiguing contractions.

Activity of spindle afferents from cat anterior thigh muscles. II. Effects of fusimotor blockade

1985 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Loeb ◽  
J. A. Hoffer
Keyword(s):  
Stance Phase ◽  
Femoral Nerve ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Muscle Spindles ◽  
Swing Phase ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Electromyographic Activity ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Anterior Thigh ◽  
Proprioceptive Signal

Chronically implanted electrodes and nerve cuff catheters were used to record the activity of individual muscle spindle afferents during treadmill walking as low doses of lidocaine were infused around the femoral nerve to progressively block gamma motoneuron activity. Both primary and secondary endings from both the monarticular knee extensors and the biarticular hip/knee muscles of the anterior thigh showed large decreases in afferent activity, usually well before changes in the electromyographic activity, force output, or length and velocity were seen in the parent muscles. This decline in the proprioceptive signal feeding back onto the spinal cord, which we presume to have involved most of the spindles supplied by the femoral nerve, did not cause noticeable irregularities or instability of the walking gait. At the peak of the fusimotor blockade, spindle afferents from knee extensor muscles lost about half of their usually brisk activity during the near-isometric contraction of the stance phase. Significant decreases in the response to passive stretch during the flexion phase also occurred. At the peak of the fusimotor blockade, spindle afferents from the biarticular muscles lost all of their activity during the rapidly shortening swing phase and about half of their activity during the rapidly lengthening stance phase. For both monarticular and biarticular muscle spindles, the activity decreases in stance and swing phase often occurred at distinctly different stages of the progressive fusimotor blockade, indicating several different sources of fusimotor control. From these data, we infer that the sensitivity of most spindle afferents is substantially influenced by fusimotor activity during phases of both extrafusal activity and extrafusal silence. At least some of this influence appears to come from fusimotor neurons whose recruitment is independent of the extrafusal recruitment. The extent and type of fusimotor effects on spindle afferent sensitivity (dynamic or static) appear to be specialized for the mechanical events that tend to occur during those phases.

scholarly journals Child-adult differences in neuromuscular fatigue are muscle dependent

2018 ◽  
Vol 125 (4) ◽  
pp. 1246-1256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enzo Piponnier ◽  
Vincent Martin ◽  
Bastien Bontemps ◽  
Emeric Chalchat ◽  
Valérie Julian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Central Fatigue ◽  
Neuromuscular Fatigue ◽  
Muscle Group ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Plantar Flexor ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Lower Extent

The aim of the present study was to compare the development and etiology of neuromuscular fatigue of the knee extensor (KE) and plantar flexor (PF) muscles during repeated maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs) between children and adults. Prepubertal boys ( n = 21; 9–11 yr) and men ( n = 24; 18–30 yr) performed two fatigue protocols consisting of a repetition of 5-s isometric MVIC of the KE or PF muscles interspersed with 5-s passive recovery periods until MVIC reached 60% of its initial value. The etiology of neuromuscular fatigue of the KE and PF muscles was investigated by means of noninvasive methods, such as the surface electromyography, single and doublet magnetic stimulation, twitch interpolation technique, and near-infrared spectroscopy. The number of repetitions performed was significantly lower in men (15.4 ± 3.8) than boys (38.7 ± 18.8) for the KE fatigue test. In contrast, no significant difference was found for the PF muscles between boys and men (12.1 ± 4.9 and 13.8 ± 4.9 repetitions, respectively). Boys displayed a lower reduction in potentiated twitch torque, low-frequency fatigue, and muscle oxygenation than men whatever the muscle group considered. In contrast, voluntary activation level and normalized electromyography data decreased to a greater extent in boys than men for both muscle groups. To conclude, boys experienced less peripheral and more central fatigue during repeated MVICs than men whatever the muscle group considered. However, child-adult differences in neuromuscular fatigue were muscle-dependent since boys fatigued similarly to men with the PF muscles and to a lower extent with the KE muscles. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Child-adult differences in neuromuscular fatigue during repeated maximal voluntary contractions are specific to the muscle group since children fatigue similarly to adults with the plantar flexor muscles and to a lower extent with the knee extensor muscles. Children experience less peripheral fatigue and more central fatigue than adults, regardless of the muscle group considered.

A comparison of critical force and electromyographic fatigue threshold for isometric muscle actions of the forearm flexors

2009 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Russell Hendrix ◽  
Terry J. Housh ◽  
Glen O. Johnson ◽  
Joseph P. Weir ◽  
Travis W. Beck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Force ◽  
Fatigue Threshold ◽  
Muscle Actions ◽  
Isometric Muscle

scholarly journals Comparison of Maximum Tolerated Muscle Torques Produced by 2 Pulse Durations

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 851-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne B. Scott ◽  
James B. Causey ◽  
Tara L. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Pulse Duration ◽  
Short Pulse ◽  
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Muscle Forces ◽  
Pain Thresholds ◽  
Short Pulse Duration ◽  
Medical Histories ◽  
Duration Condition ◽  
Muscle Torques

BackgroundNeuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is an effective therapeutic technique for strengthening weak muscles. A positive dose-response relationship exists between the elicited muscle forces during training and strength (force-generating capacity) gains. Patient discomfort limits NMES muscle forces, potentially compromising efficacy.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the NMES muscle torques produced by stimulation trains consisting of 2 different pulse durations.DesignDuring a single testing session, the 2 pulse duration conditions (50 and 200 microseconds) were tested on the opposite lower extremities of the participants.MethodsThe study participants were 10 adults without remarkable medical histories. The maximum tolerated isometric knee extensor torque was the primary dependent variable. The peak currents and phase charges that produced the maximally tolerated torques, as well as the sensory, motor, and pain thresholds for the 2 pulse conditions, were compared.ResultsThe 200-microsecond pulse duration condition resulted in participants tolerating significantly greater muscle torques; it was associated with significantly greater phase charges but significantly lower peak currents.LimitationsThis study only compared muscle torques in response to stimulation trains consisting of pulses with short (50-microsecond) or medium (200-microsecond) durations and did not examine long (∼400- to 600-microsecond) durations. Furthermore, the result of this study may not apply to NMES that uses stimulation patterns other than monophasic, square-wave pulsed current.ConclusionsIt has been suggested that short pulse durations are most appropriate for NMES because they are less likely to recruit nociceptors. The results of this study, however, support the use of a medium pulse duration rather than a short pulse duration when the goal is to produce a maximum torque response from a muscle. These observations may be related to the currents and phase charges for the pain thresholds for the 2 pulse duration conditions.

scholarly journals Aging augments renal vasoconstrictor response to orthostatic stress in humans

2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (12) ◽  
pp. R1474-R1478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Clark ◽  
Kevin D. Monahan ◽  
Rachel C. Drew
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Lower Body Negative Pressure ◽  
Systemic Circulation ◽  
Young Group ◽  
Orthostatic Stress ◽  
Renal Vasoconstriction ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Vasoconstrictor Response ◽  
Renal Vascular

The ability of the human body to maintain arterial blood pressure (BP) during orthostatic stress is determined by several reflex neural mechanisms. Renal vasoconstriction progressively increases during graded elevations in lower body negative pressure (LBNP). This sympathetically mediated response redistributes blood flow to the systemic circulation to maintain BP. However, how healthy aging affects the renal vasoconstrictor response to LBNP is unknown. Therefore, 10 young (25 ± 1 yr; means ± SE) and 10 older (66 ± 2 yr) subjects underwent graded LBNP (−15 and −30 mmHg) while beat-to-beat renal blood flow velocity (RBFV; Doppler ultrasound), arterial BP (Finometer), and heart rate (HR; electrocardiogram) were recorded. Renal vascular resistance (RVR), an index of renal vasoconstriction, was calculated as mean BP/RBFV. All baseline cardiovascular variables were similar between groups, except diastolic BP was higher in older subjects ( P < 0.05). Increases in RVR during LBNP were greater in the older group compared with the young group (older: −15 mmHg Δ10 ± 3%, −30 mmHg Δ20 ± 5%; young: −15 mmHg Δ2 ± 2%, −30 mmHg Δ6 ± 2%; P < 0.05). RBFV tended to decrease more ( P = 0.10) and mean BP tended to decrease less ( P = 0.09) during LBNP in the older group compared with the young group. Systolic and diastolic BP, pulse pressure, and HR responses to LBNP were similar between groups. These findings suggest that aging augments the renal vasoconstrictor response to orthostatic stress in humans.

A comparison of central aspects of fatigue in submaximal and maximal voluntary contractions

2008 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 542-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet L. Taylor ◽  
Simon C. Gandevia
Keyword(s):  
Small Diameter ◽  
Force Production ◽  
Central Fatigue ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Muscle Afferents ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Group Iii ◽  
Motor Cortical

Magnetic and electrical stimulation at different levels of the neuraxis show that supraspinal and spinal factors limit force production in maximal isometric efforts (“central fatigue”). In sustained maximal contractions, motoneurons become less responsive to synaptic input and descending drive becomes suboptimal. Exercise-induced activity in group III and IV muscle afferents acts supraspinally to limit motor cortical output but does not alter motor cortical responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation. “Central” and “peripheral” fatigue develop more slowly during submaximal exercise. In sustained submaximal contractions, central fatigue occurs in brief maximal efforts even with a weak ongoing contraction (<15% maximum). The presence of central fatigue when much of the available motor pathway is not engaged suggests that afferent inputs contribute to reduce voluntary activation. Small-diameter muscle afferents are likely to be activated by local activity even in sustained weak contractions. During such contractions, it is difficult to measure central fatigue, which is best demonstrated in maximal efforts. To show central fatigue in submaximal contractions, changes in motor unit firing and force output need to be characterized simultaneously. Increasing central drive recruits new motor units, but the way this occurs is likely to depend on properties of the motoneurons and the inputs they receive in the task. It is unclear whether such factors impair force production for a set level of descending drive and thus represent central fatigue. The best indication that central fatigue is important during submaximal tasks is the disproportionate increase in subjects' perceived effort when maintaining a low target force.

scholarly journals Age-Associated Differences of Modules and Hubs in Brain Functional Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinghui Zhang ◽  
Yin Wang ◽  
Nan Chen ◽  
Man Guo ◽  
Xiuzhen Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Young Group ◽  
Brain Dysfunction ◽  
Modular Organization ◽  
Functional Networks ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related

Healthy aging is usually accompanied by changes in the functional modular organization of the human brain, which may result in the decline of cognition and underlying brain dysfunction. However, the relationship between age-related brain functional modular structure differences and cognition remain debatable. In this study, we investigated the age-associated differences of modules and hubs from young, middle and old age groups, using resting-state fMRI data from a large cross-sectional adulthood sample. We first divided the subjects into three age groups and constructed an individual-level network for each subject. Subsequently, a module-guided group-level network construction method was applied to form a weighted network for each group from which functional modules were detected. The intra- and inter-modular connectivities were observed negatively correlated with age. According to the detected modules, we found the number of connector hubs in the young group was more than middle-age and old group, while the quantity of provincial hubs in middle-age group was discovered more than other two groups. Further ROI-wise analysis shows that different hubs have distinct age-associated trajectories of intra- and inter-modular connections, which suggests the different types of topological role transitions in functional networks across age groups. Our results indicated an inverse association between functional segregation/integration with age, which demonstrated age-associated differences in communication effeciency. This study provides a new perspective and useful information to better understand the normal aging of brain networks.

scholarly journals Loss of knee extensor torque complexity during fatiguing isometric muscle contractions occurs exclusively above the critical torque

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (11) ◽  
pp. R1144-R1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Pethick ◽  
Samantha L. Winter ◽  
Mark Burnley
Keyword(s):  
Femoral Nerve ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Approximate Entropy ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Muscle Contractions ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Fluctuation Analysis ◽  
Scaling Exponent ◽  
Extensor Torque ◽  
Isometric Muscle

The complexity of knee extensor torque time series decreases during fatiguing isometric muscle contractions. We hypothesized that because of peripheral fatigue, this loss of torque complexity would occur exclusively during contractions above the critical torque (CT). Nine healthy participants performed isometric knee extension exercise (6 s of contraction, 4 s of rest) on six occasions for 30 min or to task failure, whichever occurred sooner. Four trials were performed above CT (trials S1–S4, S1 being the lowest intensity), and two were performed below CT (at 50% and 90% of CT). Global, central, and peripheral fatigue were quantified using maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) with femoral nerve stimulation. The complexity of torque output was determined using approximate entropy (ApEn) and the detrended fluctuation analysis-α scaling exponent (DFA-α). The MVC torque was reduced in trials below CT [by 19 ± 4% (means ± SE) in 90%CT], but complexity did not decrease [ApEn for 90%CT: from 0.82 ± 0.03 to 0.75 ± 0.06, 95% paired-samples confidence intervals (CIs), 95% CI = −0.23, 0.10; DFA-α from 1.36 ± 0.01 to 1.32 ± 0.03, 95% CI −0.12, 0.04]. Above CT, substantial reductions in MVC torque occurred (of 49 ± 8% in S1), and torque complexity was reduced (ApEn for S1: from 0.67 ± 0.06 to 0.14 ± 0.01, 95% CI = −0.72, −0.33; DFA-α from 1.38 ± 0.03 to 1.58 ± 0.01, 95% CI 0.12, 0.29). Thus, in these experiments, the fatigue-induced loss of torque complexity occurred exclusively during contractions performed above the CT.

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