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Modulation of intracortical inhibition and excitation in agonist and antagonist muscles following acute strength training

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Abstract

Purpose

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) usually investigates the corticospinal responses of the agonist muscle to strength training, despite the role of the antagonist muscle in strength development. We examined the intracortical responses from an agonist and antagonist muscle following a single session of heavy-loaded strength training (dominant-arm only) to identify the early antagonistic responses to a single session that may accompany improvements in strength.

Methods

Corticospinal and motor cortical excitability and inhibition was collected from agonist and antagonist muscles prior to and following a single session of heavy-loaded wrist flexor training in 18 individuals. Training consisted of four sets 6–8 repetitions at 80% of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM). Recruitment curves for corticospinal excitability and inhibition of the right wrist flexor and wrist extensor muscles were constructed and assessed by examining the area under the recruitment curve. Intracortical measures were obtained using paired-pulse TMS.

Results

Following a single training session, increases in corticospinal excitability were observed in both the agonist and antagonist muscles. This was accompanied by decreases in corticospinal inhibition in both muscles. Intracortical inhibition was reduced and intracortical facilitation was increased for the agonist muscle only. Intracortical measures in the antagonist muscle remained unchanged after training.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the corticospinal responses to a single session of strength training are similar between agonist and antagonist muscles, but the intrinsic cortico-cortical circuitry of the antagonist remains unchanged. The corticospinal responses are likely due to increased involvement/co-activation of the antagonist muscle during training as the agonist muscle fatigues.

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Abbreviations

1-RM:

One-repetition maximum

AURC:

Area under the recruitment curve

CSE:

Corticospinal excitability

CSP:

Corticospinal silent period

ECR:

Extensor carpi radialis

EMG:

Electromyography

FCR:

Flexor carpi radialis

GABA:

γ-Aminobutyric acid

ICF:

Intracortical facilitation

LICI:

Long-interval cortical inhibition

MEP:

Motor-evoked potential

MMAX :

Maximal compound wave

MVIC:

Maximal voluntary isometric contraction

M1:

Primary motor cortex

rmsEMG:

Root-mean-square electromyography

sEMG:

Surface electromyography

SICI:

Short-interval cortical inhibition

TMS:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, PO Box 527, Frankston, VIC, 3199, Australia

    Joel Mason, Ashlyn K. Frazer, Shapour Jaberzadeh & Dawson J. Kidgell

  2. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK

    Glyn Howatson

  3. Water Research Group, School of Environmental Sciences and Development, Northwest University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

    Glyn Howatson

  4. School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

    Alan J. Pearce

  5. Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Neuromuscular Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Janne Avela

Authors
  1. Joel Mason
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  2. Glyn Howatson
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  3. Ashlyn K. Frazer
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  4. Alan J. Pearce
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  7. Dawson J. Kidgell
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Contributions

JM, AF, GH and DJK conceived and designed the study. JM, AF, GH and DJK conducted experiments, analyzed data, and drafted the first version of the manuscript. AJP, SJ, JA critically revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dawson J. Kidgell.

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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Mason, J., Howatson, G., Frazer, A.K. et al. Modulation of intracortical inhibition and excitation in agonist and antagonist muscles following acute strength training. Eur J Appl Physiol 119, 2185–2199 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04203-9

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