Shifts In The Relationship Between Motor Unit Recruitment Thresholds Versus Derecruitment Thresholds During Fatigue

Keywords

Maximal voluntary contraction; Muscle; Vastus lateralis

Abstract

Muscle fatigue is associated with diminished twitch force amplitude. We examined changes in the motor unit recruitment versus derecruitment threshold relationship during fatigue. Nine men (mean age = 26 years) performed repeated isometric contractions at 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) knee extensor force until exhaustion. Surface electromyographic signals were detected from the vastus lateralis, and were decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential trains. Motor unit recruitment and derecruitment thresholds and firing rates at recruitment and derecruitment were evaluated at the beginning, middle, and end of the protocol. On average, 15 motor units were studied per contraction. For the initial contraction, three subjects showed greater recruitment thresholds than derecruitment thresholds for all motor units. Five subjects showed greater recruitment thresholds than derecruitment thresholds for only low-threshold motor units at the beginning, with a mean cross-over of 31.6% MVC. As the muscle fatigued, many motor units were derecruited at progressively higher forces. In turn, decreased slopes and increased y-intercepts were observed. These shifts were complemented by increased firing rates at derecruitment relative to recruitment. As the vastus lateralis fatigued, the central nervous system's compensatory adjustments resulted in a shift of the regression line of the recruitment versus derecruitment threshold relationship.

Publication Date

12-1-2017

Publication Title

Medical Engineering and Physics

Volume

50

Number of Pages

35-42

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medengphy.2017.08.015

Socpus ID

85029429405 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85029429405

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS