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DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-837490
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York
Changes in the Reflex Excitability During and after a Sustained, Low-Intensity Muscle Contraction
Publication History
Accepted after revision: November 15, 2004
Publication Date:
11 April 2005 (online)
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the soleus H-reflex amplitude during and after a low-intensity isometric contraction. Twelve healthy, untrained subjects performed a 10-minute isometric plantar flexion at 20 % of their maximum voluntary contraction torque output. The electromyogram, H-reflex, and maximum M-wave (Mmax) of the soleus muscle was recorded during and 10 minutes after the end of the contraction. The results indicated that the H-reflex increased significantly (mean ± SEM: 44.7 ± 16.6 %, p < 0.05), but when the fatigue protocol was over, the H-reflex was depressed for the first 3 minutes, relativel to the H-reflex that was recorded before fatigue, when the muscle was relaxed. The Mmax did not change significantly during the whole experiment. Furthermore, the stimulation frequency (0.1 vs. 0.3 Hz) did not have any significant effect on the H-reflex modulation. The results of the current study suggest that the reflex excitability is increased as fatigue develops, whereas this increase turns to depression for the first minutes of the recovery phase. The functional significance of these changes and the neural mechanisms which might be responsible are discussed.
Key words
Fatigue - soleus - H-reflex - M-wave - humans
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Dr. Ph.D. Dimitrios Patikas
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Clinic of Heidelberg
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