Voluntary activation of human quadriceps during and after isokinetic exercise

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 2122-2126 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Newham ◽  
T. McCarthy ◽  
J. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Isometric Contractions ◽  
Knee Angle ◽  
Lower Velocity ◽  
Isokinetic Contractions ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Voluntary Contractions ◽  
The Relationship

The extent of voluntary activation in fresh and fatigued quadriceps muscles was investigated during isometric and isokinetic voluntary contractions at 20 and 150 degrees/s in 23 normal human subjects. The muscles were fatigued by a total of 4 min of maximal knee extension at an angular velocity of 85 degrees/s. Voluntary activation was determined by the superimposition of tetanic electrical stimulation at 100 Hz for 250 ms, initiated at a constant knee angle. The relationship between voluntary and stimulated force was similar to that found with the established twitch superimposition technique used on isometric contractions. In fresh muscle all the subjects showed full voluntary activation during isometric contractions. Some activation failure was seen in five subjects at 20 degrees/s [2.0 +/- 0.9 degrees (SE)] and in two subjects at 150 degrees/s (0.7 +/- 0.5). After fatigue all subjects showed some activation failure at 0 and 20 degrees/s (36.4 +/- 3.1 and 28.8 +/- 4.1 degrees, respectively), but only two showed any at 150 degrees/s (1.4 +/- 5.7). We conclude that brief high-intensity dynamic exercise can cause a considerable failure of voluntary activation. This failure was most marked during isometric and the lower-velocity isokinetic contractions. Thus a failure of voluntary activation may have greater functional significance than previous studies of isometric contractions have indicated.

Initial phase of maximal voluntary and electrically stimulated knee extension torque development at different knee angles

2004 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1693-1701 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. de Ruiter ◽  
R. D. Kooistra ◽  
M. I. Paalman ◽  
A. de Haan
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Knee Extensor ◽  
Surface Emg ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Knee Angle ◽  
Time Integral ◽  
Voluntary Contractions ◽  
Torque Development

We investigated the capacity for torque development and muscle activation at the onset of fast voluntary isometric knee extensions at 30, 60, and 90° knee angle. Experiments were performed in subjects ( n = 7) who had high levels (>90%) of activation at the plateau of maximal voluntary contractions. During maximal electrical nerve stimulation (8 pulses at 300 Hz), the maximal rate of torque development (MRTD) and torque time integral over the first 40 ms (TTI40) changed in proportion with torque at the different knee angles (highest values at 60°). At each knee angle, voluntary MRTD and stimulated MRTD were similar ( P < 0.05), but time to voluntary MRTD was significantly longer. Voluntary TTI40 was independent ( P > 0.05) of knee angle and on average (all subjects and angles) only 40% of stimulated TTI40. However, among subjects, the averaged (across knee angles) values ranged from 10.3 ± 3.1 to 83.3 ± 3.2% and were positively related ( r2 = 0.75, P < 0.05) to the knee-extensor surface EMG at the start of torque development. It was concluded that, although all subjects had high levels of voluntary activation at the plateau of maximal voluntary contraction, among subjects and independent of knee angle, the capacity for fast muscle activation varied substantially. Moreover, in all subjects, torque developed considerably faster during maximal electrical stimulation than during maximal voluntary effort. At different knee angles, stimulated MRTD and TTI40 changed in proportion with stimulated torque, but voluntary MRTD and TTI40 changed less than maximal voluntary torque.

scholarly journals Quadriceps activation during maximal isometric and isokinetic contractions: The minimal real difference and its implications

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Luigi Catino ◽  
Chiara Malloggi ◽  
Stefano Scarano ◽  
Valeria Cerina ◽  
Viviana Rota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Real Difference ◽  
Concentric Contractions ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Logit Transformation ◽  
Isokinetic Contractions ◽  
Electrical Stimuli ◽  
Voluntary Contractions

BACKGROUND: A method of measurement of voluntary activation (VA, percent of full muscle recruitment) during isometric and isokinetic concentric contractions of the quadriceps femoris (QF) at 60∘/s and 120∘/s was previously validated. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify the test-retest minimal real difference (MRD) of VA during isometric (ISOM) and isokinetic concentric contractions of QF (100∘/s, ISOK) in a sample of healthy individuals. METHODS: VA was measured through the interpolated twitch technique. Pairs of electrical stimuli were delivered to the QF at 40∘ of knee flexion during maximal voluntary contractions. Twenty-five healthy participants (20–38 years, 12 women, 13 men) completed two testing sessions with a 14-day interval. VA values were linearized through logit transformation (VAl). The MRD was estimated from intraclass correlation coefficients (model 2.1). RESULTS: The VA (median, range) was 84.20% (38.2–99.9%) in ISOM and 94.22% (33.8-100%) in ISOK. MRD was 0.78 and 1.12 logit for ISOM and ISOK, respectively. As an example, in terms of percent VA these values correspond to a change from 76% to 95% and from 79% to 98% in ISOM and in ISOK, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The provided MRD values allow to detect significant individual changes in VA, as expected after training and rehabilitation programs.

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.

Relationship Between Simulated Common Synaptic Input and Discharge Synchrony in Cat Spinal Motoneurons

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 2266-2275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc D. Binder ◽  
Randall K. Powers
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Input ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Human Hand ◽  
Spinal Motoneurons ◽  
Common Input ◽  
Voluntary Contractions ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Repetitive Discharge

Synchronized discharge of individual motor units is commonly observed in the muscles of human subjects performing voluntary contractions. The amount of this synchronization is thought to reflect the extent to which motoneurons in the same and related pools share common synaptic input. However, the relationship between the proportion of shared synaptic input and the strength of synchronization has never been measured directly. In this study, we simulated common shared synaptic input to cat spinal motoneurons by driving their discharge with noisy, injected current waveforms. Each motoneuron was stimulated with a number of different injected current waveforms, and a given pair of waveforms were either completely different or else shared a variable percentage of common elements. Cross-correlation histograms were then compiled between the discharge of motoneurons stimulated with noise waveforms with variable degrees of similarity. The strength of synchronization increased with the amount of simulated “common” input in a nonlinear fashion. Moreover, even when motoneurons had >90% of their simulated synaptic inputs in common, only ∼25–45% of their spikes were synchronized. We used a simple neuron model to explore how variations in neuron properties during repetitive discharge may lead to the low levels of synchronization we observed experimentally. We found that small variations in spike threshold and firing rate during repetitive discharge lead to large decreases in synchrony, particularly when neurons have a high degree of common input. Our results may aid in the interpretation of studies of motor unit synchrony in human hand muscles during voluntary contractions.

Initiation of migrating myoelectric complexes in human subjects: role of duodenal acidification and plasma motilin

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Daniel ◽  
J. E. T. Fox ◽  
S. M. Collins ◽  
T. D. Lewis ◽  
M. Meghji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Duodenal Bulb ◽  
Maximal Activity ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Motor Complex ◽  
Duodenal Acidification ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Plasma Motilin ◽  
The Relationship

The hypothesis that acid, emptied intermittently from the stomach during fasting, might initiate the duodenal phase of the migrating motor complex was tested in normal human subjects, in addition, the relationship between plasma motilin concentrations and the initiation of migrating motor complexes was examined. Migrating complexes occurred spontaneously in the absence of acid in the duodenal bulb and in the presence of duodenal bulb neutralization with sodium bicarbonate. Thus duodenal bulb acidification is not necessary for initiation of the duodenal phase of the migrating motor complexes. Further-more, cyclical increases in plasma motilin concentrations were not closely correlated with the initiation of the gastric phase of maximal activity of the migrating motor complexes. However, motilin concentrations were decreased significantly following onset of the duodenal phase III. We conclude that neither duodenal acidification nor increases in motilin concentration are necessary to initiate migrating motor complexes in man.

Orienting of Attention

1980 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael I. Posner
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Saccadic Eye Movements ◽  
Brain Injured ◽  
Ballistic Properties ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
High Level ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Attentional Mechanism

Bartlett viewed thinking as a high level skill exhibiting ballistic properties that he called its “point of no return”. This paper explores one aspect of cognition through the use of a simple model task in which human subjects are asked to commit attention to a position in visual space other than fixation. This instruction is executed by orienting a covert (attentional) mechanism that seems sufficiently time locked to external events that its trajectory can be traced across the visual field in terms of momentary changes in the efficiency of detecting stimuli. A comparison of results obtained with alert monkeys, brain injured and normal human subjects shows the relationship of this covert system to saccadic eye movements and to various brain systems controlling perception and motion. In accordance with Bartlett's insight, the possibility is explored that similar principles apply to orienting of attention toward sensory input and orienting to the semantic structures used in thinking.

scholarly journals Dependence of EMG Responses Evoked by Imposed Wrist Displacements on Pre-existing Activity in the Stretched Muscles

1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Bedingham ◽  
W.G. Tatton
Keyword(s):  
Background Activity ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Maximum Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Voluntary Contraction ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Onset Latency ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Motoneuron Activity ◽  
Movement Parameters ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT:The relationship between the segmented EMG activity in flexor carpi radialis evoked by imposed angular wrist displacement was studied with respect to the level of pre-existing background activity in 30 normal human subjects. Input-output response planes demonstrate that the magnitude of the Ml & M2-3 segments is dependent on both the displacement parameters and the level of pre-existing EMG activity in the stretched muscle. If the level of background activity exceeded 4-5% of the maximum voluntary contraction, the onset latency of the M1 segment and duration of the Ml and the M2-3 segments remained constant (within ± 2 msec) for different magnitudes of step load displacements, despite marked variation in the range of the displacement’s amplitude, duration, velocity, and acceleration. We propose that the dependency of the relationship between reflex magnitude and imposed movement parameters on tonic motoneuron activity, as represented by pre-existing EMG levels, may reflect an automatic adjustment mechanism that could be utilized in servo compensation of movements requiring markedly different force levels.

scholarly journals Kinematic Stride Characteristics of Maximal Sprint Running of Elite Sprinters – Verification of the “Swing-Pull Technique”

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24
Author(s):  
Klaus Mattes ◽  
Stefanie Wolff ◽  
Shahab Alizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Contact Time ◽  
Stride Length ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Knee Angle ◽  
Leg Length ◽  
Ground Contact Time ◽  
Sprinting Speed ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Maximum sprinting speed constitutes an optimum relation between the stride length and the step rate in addition to an appropriate sprinting technique. The kinematics of the sprint step at maximum sprinting speed have already been examined in numerous studies, without reaching a consensus. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between maximum sprinting speed and the stride kinematics based on the “Swing-Pull Technique”. German elite sprinters (N = 26, body height = 182 ± 6 cm, leg length 93.8 ± 4.1 cm) were tested while performing a 30-meter flying sprint at maximum sprinting speed. The relationship between sprinting speed and kinematic variables was determined via Pearson correlation. Sprinting speed (10.1 – 11.3 m/s) correlated with stride length (r = 0.53), ground contact time (r = -0.53) and variables from the technique model: the knee angle at the end of the knee lift swing (r = 0.40), the maximum knee angle prior to backswing (r = 0.40), the hip extension angle velocity (r = 0.63), and vertical foot velocity (r = 0.77) during pre-support, the ankle angle at the take-on (r = -0.43), knee flexion (r = -0.54), and knee extension (r = -0.47) during support. The results indicate that greater stride length, smaller contact time, and the mentioned kinematic step characteristics are relevant for the production of maximum sprinting speed in athletes at an intermediate to advanced performance level. The association of sprinting speed and these features should primarily be taken into account in conditioning and technical training.

Effect of training on voluntary activation of human fusimotor neurons

1985 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1422-1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Gandevia ◽  
D. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Species Difference ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Plantar Flexors ◽  
Motor Tasks ◽  
Muscle Spindle Afferents ◽  
Muscles Of The Hand ◽  
Voluntary Contractions ◽  
Intrinsic Muscles

The study was designed to determine if human subjects could develop a strategy that would allow them to activate muscle spindle afferents selectively, without contraction or stretch of the receptor-bearing muscle. Recordings were made from 19 identified muscle spindle afferents using insulated tungsten microelectrodes inserted into motor fascicles innervating ankle dorsiflexors, ankle plantar-flexors, and intrinsic muscles of the hand. The discharge of nine of the spindle endings accelerated in voluntary contractions at low levels of effort (less than 10% of maximum force). The remaining 10 endings had relatively high thresholds for activation in voluntary contractions. Despite periods of relative freedom to move and prolonged feedback of the spindle discharge and relevant electromyographic signals, subjects did not develop a strategy with which they could activate any of the afferents selectively. The findings suggest that fusimotor neurons in awake human subjects cannot be activated voluntarily without also activating low-threshold alpha-motoneurons. This is in contrast to reports of selective activity in muscle spindle afferents in freely moving cats. There are two possible explanations: 1) the motor tasks studied in man and cat are not equivalent, or 2) there is a species difference in the control and excitability of fusimotor neurons.

scholarly journals Airway Thiol-NO Adducts as Determinants of Exhaled NO

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1527
Author(s):  
Megan Pophal ◽  
Zachary W. Grimmett ◽  
Clara Chu ◽  
Seunghee Margevicius ◽  
Thomas Raffay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Breakdown Product ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Invasive Test ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Human Airways ◽  
The Relationship

Thiol-NO adducts such as S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) are endogenous bronchodilators in human airways. Decreased airway S-nitrosothiol concentrations are associated with asthma. Nitric oxide (NO), a breakdown product of GSNO, is measured in exhaled breath as a biomarker in asthma; an elevated fraction of expired NO (FENO) is associated with asthmatic airway inflammation. We hypothesized that FENO could reflect airway S-nitrosothiol concentrations. To test this hypothesis, we first studied the relationship between mixed expired NO and airway S-nitrosothiols in patients endotracheally intubated for respiratory failure. The inverse (Lineweaver-Burke type) relationship suggested that expired NO could reflect the rate of pulmonary S-nitrosothiol breakdown. We thus studied NO evolution from the lungs of mice (GSNO reductase −/−) unable reductively to catabolize GSNO. More NO was produced from GSNO in the −/− compared to wild type lungs. Finally, we formally tested the hypothesis that airway GSNO increases FENO using an inhalational challenge model in normal human subjects. FENO increased in all subjects tested, with a median t1/2 of 32.0 min. Taken together, these data demonstrate that FENO reports, at least in part, GSNO breakdown in the lungs. Unlike GSNO, NO is not present in the lungs in physiologically relevant concentrations. However, FENO following a GSNO challenge could be a non-invasive test for airway GSNO catabolism.

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