scholarly journals The Non-linear Relationship between Muscle Voluntary Activation Level and Voluntary Force Measured by the Interpolated Twitch Technique

Sensors ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 796-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ming Huang ◽  
Miao-Ju Hsu ◽  
Cheng-Hsiang Lin ◽  
Shun-Hwa Wei ◽  
Ya-Ju Chang
Motor Control ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-282
Author(s):  
Rihab Borji ◽  
Firas Zghal ◽  
Nidhal Zarrouk ◽  
Sonia Sahli ◽  
Haithem Rebai

The authors explored neuromuscular fatigue in athletes with intellectual disability (AID) compared with sedentary individuals with intellectual disability (SID) and individuals with typical development. Force, voluntary activation level, potentiated resting twitch, and electromyography signals were assessed during isometric maximal voluntary contractions performed before and immediately after an isometric submaximal exhaustive contraction (15% isometric maximal voluntary contractions) and during recovery period. AID presented shorter time to task failure than SID (p < .05). The three groups presented similar isometric maximal voluntary contraction decline and recovery kinetic. Both groups with intellectual disability presented higher voluntary activation level and root mean square normalized to peak-to-peak M-wave amplitude declines (p < .05) compared with individuals with typical development. These declines were more pronounced in SID (p < .05) than in AID. The AID recovered their initial voluntary activation level later than controls, whereas SID did not. SID presented lower potentiated resting twitch decline compared with AID and controls with faster recovery (p < .05). AID presented attenuated central fatigue and accentuated peripheral fatigue compared with their sedentary counterparts, suggesting a neuromuscular profile close to that of individuals with typical development.


2004 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1923-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Martin ◽  
G. Y. Millet ◽  
A. Martin ◽  
G. Deley ◽  
G. Lattier

The aim of this study was to compare the use of transcutaneous vs. motor nerve stimulation in the evaluation of low-frequency fatigue. Nine female and eleven male subjects, all physically active, performed a 30-min downhill run on a motorized treadmill. Knee extensor muscle contractile characteristics were measured before, immediately after (Post), and 30 min after the fatiguing exercise (Post30) by using single twitches and 0.5-s tetani at 20 Hz (P20) and 80 Hz (P80). The P20-to-P80 ratio was calculated. Electrical stimulations were randomly applied either maximally to the femoral nerve or via large surface electrodes (ES) at an intensity sufficient to evoke 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) during a 80-Hz tetanus. Voluntary activation level was also determined during isometric MVC by the twitch-interpolation technique. Knee extensor MVC and voluntary activation level decreased at all points in time postexercise ( P < 0.001). P20 and P80 displayed significant time × gender × stimulation method interactions ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). Both stimulation methods detected significant torque reductions at Post and Post30. Overall, ES tended to detect a greater impairment at Post in male and a lesser one in female subjects at both Post and Post30. Interestingly, the P20-P80 ratio relative decrease did not differ between the two methods of stimulation. The low-to-high frequency ratio only demonstrated a significant time effect ( P < 0.001). It can be concluded that low-frequency fatigue due to eccentric exercise appears to be accurately assessable by ES.


2004 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 619-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. M. Beltman ◽  
A. J. Sargeant ◽  
W. van Mechelen ◽  
A. de Haan

Voluntary activation levels during lengthening, isometric, and shortening contractions (angular velocity 60°/s) were investigated by using electrical stimulation of the femoral nerve (triplet, 300 Hz) superimposed on maximal efforts. Recruitment of fiber populations was investigated by using the phosphocreatine-to-creatine ratio (PCr/Cr) of single characterized muscle fibers obtained from needle biopsies at rest and immediately after a series of 10 lengthening, isometric, and shortening contractions (1 s on/1 s off). Maximal voluntary torque was significantly higher during lengthening (270 ± 55 N·m) compared with shortening contractions (199 ± 47 N·m, P < 0.05) but was not different from isometric contractions (252 ± 47 N·m). Isometric torque was higher than torque during shortening ( P < 0.05). Voluntary activation level during maximal attempted lengthening contractions (79 ± 8%) was significantly lower compared with isometric (93 ± 5%) and shortening contractions (92 ± 3%, P < 0.05). Mean PCr/Cr values of all fibers from all subjects at rest were 2.5 ± 0.6, 2.0 ± 0.7, and 2.0 ± 0.7, respectively, for type I, IIa, and IIax fibers. After 10 contractions, the mean PCr/Cr values for grouped fiber populations (regardless of fiber type) were all significantly different from rest (1.3 ± 0.2, 0.7 ± 0.3, and 0.8 ± 0.6 for lengthening, isometric, and shortening contractions, respectively; P < 0.05). The cumulative distributions of individual fiber populations after either contraction mode were significantly different from rest ( P < 0.05). Curves after lengthening contractions were less shifted compared with curves from isometric and shortening contractions ( P < 0.05), with a smaller shift for the type IIax compared with type I fibers in the lengthening contractions. The results indicate a reduced voluntary drive during lengthening contractions. PCr/Cr values of single fibers indicated a hierarchical order of recruitment of all fiber populations during maximal attempted lengthening contractions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (10) ◽  
pp. 1281-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Neyroud ◽  
David Dodd ◽  
Julien Gondin ◽  
Nicola A. Maffiuletti ◽  
Bengt Kayser ◽  
...  

We compared the extent and origin of muscle fatigue induced by short-pulse-low-frequency [conventional (CONV)] and wide-pulse-high-frequency (WPHF) neuromuscular electrical stimulation. We expected CONV contractions to mainly originate from depolarization of axonal terminal branches (spatially determined muscle fiber recruitment) and WPHF contractions to be partly produced via a central pathway (motor unit recruitment according to size principle). Greater neuromuscular fatigue was, therefore, expected following CONV compared with WPHF. Fourteen healthy subjects underwent 20 WPHF (1 ms-100 Hz) and CONV (50 μs-25 Hz) evoked isometric triceps surae contractions (work/rest periods 20:40 s) at an initial target of 10% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force. Force-time integral of the 20 evoked contractions (FTI) was used as main index of muscle fatigue; MVC force loss was also quantified. Central and peripheral fatigue were assessed by voluntary activation level and paired stimulation amplitudes, respectively. FTI in WPHF was significantly lower than in CONV (21,717 ± 11,541 vs. 37,958 ± 9,898 N·s P<0,001). The reductions in MVC force (WPHF: −7.0 ± 2.7%; CONV: −6.2 ± 2.5%; P < 0.01) and paired stimulation amplitude (WPHF: −8.0 ± 4.0%; CONV: −7.4 ± 6.1%; P < 0.001) were similar between conditions, whereas no change was observed for voluntary activation level ( P > 0.05). Overall, our results showed a different motor unit recruitment pattern between the two neuromuscular electrical stimulation modalities with a lower FTI indicating greater muscle fatigue for WPHF, possibly limiting the presumed benefits for rehabilitation programs.


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