Summary
A comparison of the mean power frequency (MPF) and the root mean square amplitude (rms) of the myo-electric signal of two agonist muscles [triceps brachii (fast; TB) and anconeus (slow; ANC)] has been made during repeated intermittent static contractions. Subjects were asked to maintain different extension torques at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction until this could no longer be maintained (endurance time). The interval between successive contractions was kept constant at 3 min. During the first six successive contractions, a decrease in MPF and an increase in rms were most pronounced, ANC and TB MPF recovered with subsequent overshoot. A marked decline in endurance time was also seen. The increase in rms was greater for TB than for ANC when the decrease in MPF was greater for ANC than for TB. The differences in power spectrum density function upper frequencies of the two muscles could explain the greater decrease of MPF in ANC. Our data would suggest a greater fatigability in TB relative to ANC. On and after the seventh contraction, a steady-state in duration, muscle temperature, MPF and rms was reached. These results suggested that a slow (ANC) and a fast (TB) muscle acted in a similar way during intermittent static contractions, when the intervening rest was not long enough to allow full recovery of the muscles.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bigland Ritchie B, Furbush F, Woods JJ (1986) Fatigue of intermittent submaximal voluntary contractions: central and peripheral factors. J Appl Physiol 61:421–429
Buchthal F, Madsen A (1950) Synchronous activity in normal and atrophic muscles. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 2:425–444
Christensen H, Fuglsang-Frederiksen A (1988) Quantitative surface EMG during sustained and intermittent submaximal contractions. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 70:239–247
Clamann JP, Broecker KT (1979) Relation between force and fatigability of red and pale skeletal muscles in man. Am J Phys Med 58:70–85
Clarke RSS, Hellon RF, Lind (1958) The duration of sustained contractions of the human forearm at different muscle temperatures. J Physiol (Lond) 143:454–473
De Luca CJ (1984) Myoelectric manifestations of localized muscle fatigue in humans. CRC Crit Rev Bioeng 11:251–279
De Luca CJ, Creigh JL (1985) Do the firing statistics of motor units modify the frequency content of the EMG signal during sustained contractions? In: Winter DA (ed) Biomechanics IXA. Human Kinetics, Champaign, Ill., pp 358–362
Edwards RHT (1981) Human muscle function and fatigue. In: Porter R, Whelan J (eds) Human muscle fatigue: physiological mechanisms. Ciba Foundation Symposium 82. Pitman Medical. London, pp 1–18
Edwards RGT, Hill DK, MacDonnell M (1972) Myothermal and intramuscular pressure measurements during isometric contractions of the human quadriceps muscle. J Physiol (Lond) 224:58–59
Funderburk CF, Hipskind SG, Welton RC, Lind AR (1974) Development of and recovery from fatigue induced by static effort at various tensions. J Appl Physiol 37:392–396
Garnet D, Maton B (1989) The fatigability of two agonistic muscles in human isometric voluntary submaximal contraction: an EMG study. I. Assessment of muscular fatigue by means of surface EMG. Eur J Appl Physiol 58:361–368
Jörgensen K, Fallentin N, Krogh-Lund C, Jensen B (1988) Electromyography and fatigue during prolonged, low level static contractions. Eur J Appl Physiol 57:316–321
Kadefors R, Kaiser E, Petersen I (1968) Dynamic spectrum analysis of myopotentials and with special reference to muscle fatigue. Electromyography 8:39–74
Körner L, Parker P, Almström C, Herberts P, Kadefors R (1984) The relation between spectral changes of the myoelectrical signal and the intramuscular pressure of human skeletal muscle. Eur J Appl Physiol 52:202–206
Le Bozec S, Maton B (1987) Differences between motor unit firing rate, twitch characteristics and fibre composition in an agonistic muscle group. Eur J Appl Physiol 56:350–355
Le Bozec S, Maton B, Cnockaert JC (1980a) The synergy of elbow extensor muscles during static work in man. Eur J Appl Physiol 43:57–68
Le Bozec S, Maton B, Cnockaert JC (1980b) The synergy of elbow extensor muscles during dynamic work in man. I. Elbow extension. Eur J Appl Physiol 44:255–269
Le Bozec S, Evans OM, Maton B (1987) Long-latency stretch reflexes of the human elbow extensor during voluntary relaxation: differences between agonistic muscles. Exp Neurol 96:516–527
Lind AR (1959) Muscle fatigue and recovery from fatigue induced by sustained contraction. J Physiol (Lond) 147:162–171
Lindström L, Magnusson R, Petersen I (1970) Muscular fatigue and action potential conduction velocity changes studied with frequency analysis of EMG signal. Electromyography 10:341–356
Lindström L, Kadefors R, Petersen I (1977) An electromyographic index for localized muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 2:750–754
Maton B, Pérès G, Landjerit B (1987) Relationship between individual isometric muscles forces, EMG activity and joint torque in monkeys. Eur J Appl Physiol 56:487–494
Merletti R, Sabbahi MA, De Luca CJ (1984) Median frequency of the myoelectric signal. Effects of muscle ischemia and cooling. Eur J Appl Physiol 52:258–265
Monod H (1956) Contribution a l'étude du travail statique. Foulon, Paris, pp 1–124
Morimoto S, Umazume Y, Masuda M (1980) Properties of spike potentials detected by a surface electrode in intact human muscle. Jpn J Physiol 30:71–80
Moritani T, Muro M (1987) Motor unit activity and surface electromyogram power spectrum during increasing force of contraction. Eur J Appl Physiol 56:260–265
Moritani T, Muro M, Nagata A (1986) Intramuscular and surface electromyogram changes during muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 60:1179–1185
Ochs RM, Smith JL, Edgerton R (1977) Fatigue characteristics of human gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol 17:297–306
Person RS, Miskin LN (1964) Auto and cross correlation of the electrical activity of muscles. Med Biol Eng Comput 2:155–159
Petrofsky JS, Lind AR (1980) The influence of temperature on the amplitude and frequency components of the EMG during brief and sustained isometric contractions. Eur J Appl Physiol 44:189–200
Rohmert W (1960) Ermittlung von Erholungspausen für statistische Arbeit des Menschen. Int Z Angew Physiol Einschl Arbeitsphysiol 18:123–164
Sjöggard G (1986) Water and electrolyte fluxes during exercise and their relation to muscle fatigue. Acta Physiol Scand [Suppl 556] 128:129–136
Völlestad NK, Vaage O, Hermansen L (1984) Muscle glycogen depletion patterns in type I and subgroups of type II fibres during prolonged severe exercise in man. Acta Physiol Scand 122:433–441
Völlestad NK, Sejersted OM, Bahr R, Woods JJ, Bigland-Ritchie B (1988) Motor drive and metabolic responses during repeated submaximal contractions in humans. J Appl Physiol 64:1421–1427
Zwarts MJ, Van Weerden TW, Haenen HTM (1987) Relationship between average muscle fibre conduction velocity and EMG power spectra during isometric contraction, recovery and applied ischemia. Eur J Appl Physiol 56:212–216
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Le Bozec, S., Rougier, P. Development of muscle fatigue during intermittent submaximal static contraction in an agonist heterogeneous muscle group. Eur J Appl Physiol 63, 293–299 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233865
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233865