Myoelectric Fatigue Profiles of Three Knee Extensor Muscles

Abstract

Aims of the present study were to: 1) investigate the differences between the myoelectric fatigue profiles of the vasti muscles of the quadriceps during electrically evoked contractions; 2) compare the myoelectric fatigue profiles of the vasti muscles between sedentary subjects and rowers; 3) analyze motor unit activation order during stimulation of the vasti muscles. In nine sedentary subjects and nine rowers surface EMG signals were detected during electrically elicited contractions of the following three muscles: vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis longus (VML). M-waves were recorded as the muscles were stimulated with both variable (increasing-decreasing) and constant stimulation intensities. Changes in M-wave conduction velocity (CV) during trains with non-constant current were adopted for the study of the motor unit recruitment order. Rates of change of myoelectric signal variables were adopted to assess myoelectric manifestations of fatigue during stimulation trains with constant current. We found that: 1) VL muscle was more fatigable than vastus medialis muscles; 2) VL and VML muscles of rowers resulted less fatigable than sedentary subjects; and 3) in the three muscles, motor units tended to be recruited in order of increasing CV and derecruited in order of decreasing CV with increasing/decreasing stimulation current.

Key words

M-wave - multichannel surface EMG - muscle fatigue - neuromuscular electrical stimulation - quadriceps femoris muscle

References

• 1 Andreassen S, Arendt-Nilesen L. Muscle fibre conduction velocity in motor units of the human anterior tibial muscle: a new size principle parameter.  J Physiol. 1987;  391 561-571
• 2 Blazevich AJ, Cannavan D, Coleman DR, Horne S. Influence of concentric and eccentric resistance training on architectural adaptation in human quadriceps muscles.  J Appl Physiol. 2007;  103 1565-1575
• 3 Botter A, Merletti R, Minetto MA. Pulse charge and not waveform affects M-wave properties during progressive motor unit activation.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008;  , Apr 30 [Epub ahead of print]
• 4 Brody LR, Pollock MT, Roy SH, De Luca CJ, Celli B. pH-induced effects on median frequency and conduction velocity of the myoelectric signal.  J Appl Physiol. 1991;  71 1878-1885
• 5 Canepari M, Rossi R, Pellegrino MA, Orrell RW, Cobbold M, Harridge S, Bottinelli R. Effects of resistance training on myosin function studied by the in vitro motility assay in young and older men.  J Appl Physiol. 2005;  98 2390-2395
• 6 Dimitrova NA, Hogrel JY, Arabadzhiev TI, Dimitrov GV. Estimate of M-wave changes in human biceps brachii during continuous stimulation.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2005;  15 341-348
• 7 Farina D, Blanchietti A, Pozzo M, Merletti R. M-wave properties during progressive motor unit activation by transcutaneous stimulation.  J Appl Physiol. 2004;  97 545-555
• 8 Feiereisen P, Duchateau J, Hainaut K. Motor unit recruitment order during voluntary and electrically induced contractions in the tibialis anterior.  Exp Brain Res. 1997;  114 117-123
• 9 Fuglevand AJ, Zackowski KM, Huey KA, Enoka RM. Impairment of neuromuscular propagation during human fatiguing contractions at submaximal forces.  J Physiol. 1993;  460 549-572
• 10 Gregory CM, Bickel CS. Recruitment patterns in human skeletal muscle during electrical stimulation.  Phys Ther. 2005;  85 358-364
• 11 Griffin L, Jun BG, Covington C, Doucet BM. Force output during fatigue with progressively increasing stimulation frequency.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008;  18 426-433
• 12 Hennings K, Kamavuako EN, Farina D. The recruitment order of electrically activated motor neurons investigated with a novel collision technique.  Clin Neurophysiol. 2007;  118 283-291
• 13 Henriksson-Larsen K, Friden J, Wretling ML. Distribution of the fibre sizes in human skeletal muscle. An enzyme histochemical study in m tibialis anterior.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1985;  123 171-177
• 14 Kallenberg LA, Schulte E, Disselhorst-Klug C, Hermens HJ. Myoelectric manifestations of fatigue at low contraction levels in subjects with and without chronic pain.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2007;  17 264-274
• 15 Kamavuako EN, Hennings K, Farina D. Velocity recovery function of the compound muscle action potential assessed with doublet and triplet stimulation.  Muscle Nerve. 2007;  36 190-196
• 16 Knaflitz M, Merletti R, Luca CJ De. Inference of motor unit recruitment order in voluntary and electrically elicited contractions.  J Appl Physiol. 1990;  68 1657-1667
• 17 Kupa EJ, Roy SH, Kandarian SC, Luca CJ De. Effects of muscle fiber type and size on EMG median frequency and conduction velocity.  J Appl Physiol. 1995;  79 23-32
• 18 Jubeau M, Gondin J, Martin A, Sartorio A, Maffiuletti NA. Random motor unit activation by electrostimulation.  Int J Sports Med. 2007;  28 901-904
• 19 Lexell J, Taylor CC. Variability in muscle fibre areas in whole human quadriceps muscle. How much and why?.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1989;  136 561-568
• 20 Lieb FJ, Perry J. Quadriceps function. An anatomical and mechanical study using amputated limbs.  J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1968;  50 1535-1548
• 21 Mandrile F, Farina D, Pozzo M, Merletti R. Stimulation artifact in surface EMG signal: effect of the stimulation waveform, detection system, and current amplitude using hybrid stimulation technique.  IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2003;  11 407-415
• 22 Merletti R, Luca CJ De, Sathyan D. Electrically evoked myoelectric signals in back muscles: effect of side dominance.  J Appl Physiol. 1994;  77 2104-2114
• 23 Merletti R, Fiorito A, Lo Conte LR, Cisari C. Repeatability of electrically evoked EMG signals in the human vastus medialis muscle.  Muscle Nerve. 1998;  21 184-193
• 24 Merletti R, Knaflitz M, Luca CJ De. Myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in voluntary and electrically elicited contractions.  J Appl Physiol. 1990;  69 1810-1820
• 25 Merletti R, Knaflitz M, Luca CJ De. Electrically evoked myoelectric signals.  Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 1992;  19 293-340
• 26 Merletti R, Lo Conte LR, Sathyan D. Repeatability of electrically-evoked myoelectric signals in the human tibialis anterior muscle.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 1995;  5 67-80
• 27 Merletti R, Rainoldi A, Farina D. Myoelectric manifestations of muscle fatigue. In: Merletti R, Parker PA, eds. Electromyography. Physiology, engineering, and non-invasive applications. Hoboken, USA: J. Wiley – IEEE Press 2004: 233-258
• 28 Moritani T, Muro M, Kijima A. Electromechanical changes during electrically induced and maximal voluntary contractions: electrophysiologic responses of different muscle fiber types during stimulated contractions.  Exp Neurol. 1985;  88 471-483
• 29 Rainoldi A, Falla D, Mellor R, Bennell K, Hodges P. Myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in vastus lateralis, medialis obliquues and medialis longus muscles.  J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008;  18 1032-1037
• 30 Rainoldi A, Gazzoni M, Melchiorri G. Differences in myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in sprinters and long distance runners.  Physiol Meas. 2008;  29 331-340
• 31 Stephens JA, Garnett R, Buller NP. Reversal of recruitment order of single motor units produced by cutaneous stimulation during voluntary muscle contraction in man.  Nature. 1978;  272 362-364
• 32 Thiranagama R. Nerve supply of the human vastus medialis muscle.  J Anat. 1990;  170 193-198
• 33 Travnik L, Pernus F, Erzen I. Histochemical and morphometric characteristics of the normal human vastus medialis longus and vastus medialis obliquus muscles.  J Anat. 1995;  187 403-411
• 34 Hoeven JH Van der, Lange F. Supernormal muscle fiber conduction velocity during intermittent isometric exercise in human muscle.  J Appl Physiol. 1994;  77 802-806
• 35 Zijdewind I, Zwarts MJ, Kernell D. Fatigue-associated changes in the electromyogram of the human first dorsal interosseous muscle.  Muscle Nerve. 1999;  22 1432-1436

Correspondence