scholarly journals A method for detecting the temporal sequence of muscle activation during cycling using MRI

2011 ◽  
Vol 110 (3) ◽  
pp. 826-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Elder ◽  
Ryan N. Cook ◽  
Kenneth L. Wilkens ◽  
Marti A. Chance ◽  
Otto A. Sanchez ◽  
...  

Surface electromyography (EMG) can assess muscle recruitment patterns during cycling, but has limited applicability to studies of deep muscle recruitment and electrically stimulated contractions. We determined whether muscle recruitment timing could be inferred from MRI-measured transverse relaxation time constant (T2) changes and a cycle ergometer modified to vary power as a function of pedal angle. Six subjects performed 6 min of single-leg cycling under two conditions (E0°-230° and E90°-230°), which increased the power from 0°-230° and 90–230° of the pedal cycle, respectively. The difference condition produced a virtual power output from 0–180° (V0°-180°). Recruitment was assessed by integrating EMG over the pedal cycle (IEMG) and as the (post-pre) exercise T2 change (ΔT2). For E0°-230°, the mean IEMG for vastus medialis and lateralis (VM/VL; 49.3 ± 3.9 mV·s; mean ± SE) was greater ( P < 0.05) than that for E90°-230° (17.9 ± 1.9 mV·s); the corresponding ΔT2 values were 8.7 ± 1.0 and 1.4 ± 0.5 ms ( P < 0.05). For E0°-230° and E90°-230°, the IEMG values for biceps femoris/long head (BFL) were 37.7 ± 5.4 and 27.1 ± 5.6 mV·s ( P > 0.05); the corresponding ΔT2 values were 0.9 ± 0.9 and 1.5 ± 0.9 ms ( P > 0.05). MRI data indicated activation of the semitendinosus and BF/short head for E0°-230° and E90°-230°. For V0°-180°, ΔT2 was 7.2 ± 0.9 ms for VM/VL and −0.6 ± 0.6 ms for BFL; IEMG was 31.5 ± 3.7 mV·s for VM/VL and 10.6 ± 7.0 mV·s for BFL. MRI and EMG data indicate VM/VL activity from 0 to 180° and selected hamstring activity from 90 to 230°. Combining ΔT2 measurements with variable loading allows the spatial and temporal patterns of recruitment during cycling to be inferred from MRI data.

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack M. Burns ◽  
Jeremiah J. Peiffer ◽  
Chris R. Abbiss ◽  
Greig Watson ◽  
Angus Burnett ◽  
...  

Purpose:Manufacturers of uncoupled cycling cranks claim that their use will increase economy of motion and gross efficiency. Purportedly, this occurs by altering the muscle-recruitment patterns contributing to the resistive forces occurring during the recovery phase of the pedal stroke. Uncoupled cranks use an independent-clutch design by which each leg cycles independently of the other (ie, the cranks are not fixed together). However, research examining the efficacy of training with uncoupled cranks is equivocal. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of short-term training with uncoupled cranks on the performance-related variables economy of motion, gross efficiency, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and muscle-activation patterns.Methods:Sixteen trained cyclists were matched-paired into either an uncoupled-crank or a normal-crank training group. Both groups performed 5 wk of training on their assigned cranks. Before and after training, participants completed a graded exercise test using normal cranks. Expired gases were collected to determine economy of motion, gross efficiency, and VO2max, while integrated electromyography (iEMG) was used to examine muscle-activation patterns of the vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius.Results:No significant changes between groups were observed for economy of motion, gross efficiency, VO2max, or iEMG in the uncoupled- or normal-crank group.Conclusions:Five weeks of training with uncoupled cycling cranks had no effect on economy of motion, gross efficiency, muscle recruitment, or VO2max compared with training on normal cranks.


2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 3050-3055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hunter J. Bennett ◽  
Patrick M. Rider ◽  
Zachary J. Domire ◽  
Paul DeVita ◽  
Anthony S. Kulas

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (02) ◽  
pp. 104-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Bourne ◽  
Morgan Williams ◽  
Tania Pizzari ◽  
Anthony Shield

AbstractThe single leg supine bridge (SLB) is a commonly employed strengthening exercise and is used as a clinical test for hamstring function in sports, however, little is known about the patterns of muscle activation in this task. To explore these activation patterns, nine healthy, recreationally active males underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of their thighs at rest and immediately after 5 sets of 10 repetitions of the SLB exercise. Exercise-induced increases in the transverse (T2) relaxation time of the biceps femoris long and short heads, semitendinosus and semimembranosus, were determined via signal intensity changes in pre- and post-exercise images and used as an index of muscle activation. The Bonferroni adjusted alpha was set at p<0.008. The semitendinosus exhibited a greater T2 increase than the biceps femoris short head (p<0.001, d=2.0) and semimembranosus (p=0.001, d=1.2), but not biceps femoris long head (p=0.029, d=0.9). Furthermore, the percentage change in T2 for biceps femoris long head was greater than its short head (p=0.003, d=1.4). During the SLB exercise, the semitendinosus is most selectively targeted and the biceps femoris long head is preferentially activated over its short head. These findings may have implications for the use of the SLB in hamstring injury prevention and rehabilitation programs.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (2) ◽  
pp. R812-R820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masako Yamaoka Endo ◽  
Mayumi Kobayakawa ◽  
Ryuta Kinugasa ◽  
Shinya Kuno ◽  
Hiroshi Akima ◽  
...  

The mechanisms underlying the oxygen uptake (V̇o2) slow component during supra-lactate threshold (supra-LT) exercise are poorly understood. Evidence suggests that the V̇o2 slow component may be caused by progressive muscle recruitment during exercise. We therefore examined whether leg muscle activation patterns [from the transverse relaxation time (T2) of magnetic resonance images] were associated with supra-LT V̇o2 kinetic parameters. Eleven subjects performed 6-min cycle ergometry at moderate (80% LT), heavy (70% between LT and critical power; CP), and very heavy (7% above CP) intensities with breath-by-breath pulmonary V̇o2 measurement. T2 in 10 leg muscles was evaluated at rest and after 3 and 6 min of exercise. During moderate exercise, nine muscles achieved a steady-state T2 by 3 min; only in the vastus medialis did T2 increase further after 6 min. During heavy exercise, T2 in the entire vastus group increased between minutes 3 and 6, and additional increases in T2 were seen in adductor magnus and gracilis during this period of very heavy exercise. The V̇o2 slow component increased with increasing exercise intensity (being functionally zero during moderate exercise). The distribution of T2 was more diverse as supra-LT exercise progressed: T2 variance (ms) increased from 3.6 ± 0.2 to 6.5 ± 1.7 between 3 and 6 min of heavy exercise and from 5.5 ± 0.8 to 12.3 ± 5.4 in very heavy exercise (rest = 3.1 ± 0.6). The T2 distribution was significantly correlated with the magnitude of the V̇o2 slow component ( P < 0.05). These data are consistent with the notion that the V̇o2 slow component is an expression of progressive muscle recruitment during supra-LT exercise.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3422
Author(s):  
Jian-Zhi Lin ◽  
Wen-Yu Chiu ◽  
Wei-Hsun Tai ◽  
Yu-Xiang Hong ◽  
Chung-Yu Chen

This study analysed the landing performance and muscle activity of athletes in forefoot strike (FFS) and rearfoot strike (RFS) patterns. Ten male college participants were asked to perform two foot strikes patterns, each at a running speed of 6 km/h. Three inertial sensors and five EMG sensors as well as one 24 G accelerometer were synchronised to acquire joint kinematics parameters as well as muscle activation, respectively. In both the FFS and RFS patterns, according to the intraclass correlation coefficient, excellent reliability was found for landing performance and muscle activation. Paired t tests indicated significantly higher ankle plantar flexion in the FFS pattern. Moreover, biceps femoris (BF) and gastrocnemius medialis (GM) activation increased in the pre-stance phase of the FFS compared with that of RFS. The FFS pattern had significantly decreased tibialis anterior (TA) muscle activity compared with the RFS pattern during the pre-stance phase. The results demonstrated that the ankle strategy focused on controlling the foot strike pattern. The influence of the FFS pattern on muscle activity likely indicates that an athlete can increase both BF and GM muscles activity. Altered landing strategy in cases of FFS pattern may contribute both to the running efficiency and muscle activation of the lower extremity. Therefore, neuromuscular training and education are required to enable activation in dynamic running tasks.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Dasom Oh ◽  
Wootaek Lim

BACKGROUND: Although the medial and lateral hamstrings are clearly distinct anatomically and have different functions in the transverse plane, they are often considered as one muscle during rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) activity between the prone position and the supine position during maximal isometric contraction and to additionally confirm the effect of submaximal isometric contractions on EMG activity of medial and lateral hamstrings, and force. METHODS: In the prone position, EMG activities of the long head of biceps femoris (BFLH) and semitendinosus (ST) were measured during the maximal isometric contraction. In the supine position, hip extension force with EMG activity were measured during the maximal and the submaximal isometric contractions. RESULTS: EMG activity in the prone position was significantly decreased in the supine position. In the supine position, there was a significant difference between the BFLH and ST during the maximal isometric contraction, but not during the submaximal isometric contractions. CONCLUSIONS: The dependence on the hamstrings could be relatively lower during hip extensions. When the medial and lateral hamstrings are considered separately, the lateral hamstrings may show a more active response, with increased muscle length, in clinical practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michèle N. J. Keizer ◽  
Juha M. Hijmans ◽  
Alli Gokeler ◽  
Anne Benjaminse ◽  
Egbert Otten

Abstract Purpose It has been reported that there is no correlation between anterior tibia translation (ATT) in passive and dynamic situations. Passive ATT (ATTp) may be different to dynamic ATT (ATTd) due to muscle activation patterns. This study aimed to investigate whether muscle activation during jumping can control ATT in healthy participants. Methods ATTp of twenty-one healthy participants was measured using a KT-1000 arthrometer. All participants performed single leg hops for distance during which ATTd, knee flexion angles and knee flexion moments were measured using a 3D motion capture system. During both tests, sEMG signals were recorded. Results A negative correlation was found between ATTp and the maximal ATTd (r = − 0.47, p = 0.028). An N-Way ANOVA showed that larger semitendinosus activity was seen when ATTd was larger, while less biceps femoris activity and rectus femoris activity were seen. Moreover, larger knee extension moment, knee flexion angle and ground reaction force in the anterior-posterior direction were seen when ATTd was larger. Conclusion Participants with more ATTp showed smaller ATTd during jump landing. Muscle activation did not contribute to reduce ATTd during impact of a jump-landing at the observed knee angles. However, subjects with large ATTp landed with less knee flexion and consequently showed less ATTd. The results of this study give information on how healthy people control knee laxity during jump-landing. Level of evidence III


2004 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 460-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha G. Fawkner ◽  
Neil Armstrong

The purpose of this study was to investigate longitudinal changes with age in the kinetic response to cycling at heavy-intensity exercise in boys and girls. Twenty-two prepubertal children (13 male, 9 female) carried out a series of exercise tests on two test occasions with a 2-yr interval. On each test occasion, the subject completed multiple transitions from baseline to 40% of the difference between their previously determined V-slope and peak O2 uptake (V̇o2) for 9 min on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. Each subject's breath-by-breath responses were interpolated to 1-s intervals, time aligned, and averaged. The data after phase 1 were fit with 1) a double exponential model and 2) a single exponential model within a fitting window that was previously identified to exclude the slow component. There were no significant differences in the parameters of the primary component between each model. Subsequent analysis was carried out using model 2. The V̇o2 slow component was computed as the difference between the amplitude of the primary component and the end-exercise V̇o2 and was expressed as the percent contribution to the total change in V̇o2. Over the 2-yr period, the primary time constant (boys 16.8 ± 5.3 and 21.7 ± 5.3 s, girls 21.1 ± 8.1 and 26.4 ± 8.4 s, first and second occasion, respectively) and the relative amplitude of the slow component (boys 9.4 ± 4.6 and 13.8 ± 5.3%, girls 10.3 ± 2.4 and 15.5 ± 2.8%, first and second occasion, respectively) significantly increased with no sex differences. The data demonstrate that children do display a slow-component response to exercise and are consistent with an age-dependent change in the muscles' potential for O2 utilization.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fearghal P. Behan ◽  
Robin Vermeulen ◽  
Tessa Smith ◽  
Javier Arnaiz ◽  
Rodney Whiteley ◽  
...  

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 2100-2106 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Chonan ◽  
M. B. Mulholland ◽  
J. Leitner ◽  
M. D. Altose ◽  
N. S. Cherniack

To determine whether the intensity of dyspnea at a given level of respiratory motor output depends on the nature of the stimulus to ventilation, we compared the sensation of difficulty in breathing during progressive hypercapnia (HC) induced by rebreathing, during incremental exercise (E) on a cycle ergometer, and during isocapnic voluntary hyperventilation (IVH) in 16 normal subjects. The sensation of difficulty in breathing was rated at 30-s intervals by use of a visual analog scale. There were no differences in the level of ventilation or the base-line intensity of dyspnea before any of the interventions. The intensity of dyspnea grew linearly with increases in ventilation during HC [r = 0.98 +/- 0.02 (SD)], E (0.95 +/- 0.03), and IVH (0.95 +/- 0.06). The change in intensity of dyspnea produced by a given change in ventilation was significantly greater during HC [0.27 +/- 0.04 (SE)] than during E (0.12 +/- 0.02, P less than 0.01) and during HC (0.30 +/- 0.04) than during IVH (0.16 +/- 0.03, P less than 0.01). The difference in intensity of dyspnea between HC and E or HC and IVH increased as the difference in end-tidal PCO2 widened, even though the time course of the increase in ventilation was similar. No significant differences were measured in the intensity of dyspnea that occurred with changes in ventilation between E and IVH. These results indicate that under nearisocapnic conditions the sensation of dyspnea produced by a given level of ventilation seems not to depend on the method used to produce that level of ventilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


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