Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of muscular fatigue on the interaction between posture and movement during a lower limb pointing task.
Methods
Participants (n = 16), aged 18–30 years, kicked a ball toward a target in four conditions of fatigue: No muscular fatigue (NF), fatigue in the kicking (FM) or postural limb (FP) alone, and fatigue in both limbs (FMP). The mean amplitude and speed of the centre of foot pressure (CoP) and centre of mass (CoM) displacements were estimated through a force platform and an optoelectronic system, respectively. In addition, surface electromyography (EMG) of the biceps femoris, rectus femoris, medial gastrocnemius, and peroneus longus was recorded to investigate the anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs).
Results
Muscular fatigue yielded a decreased kicking accuracy (p < 0.001) and an increased time to perform the movement (p < 0.001), mainly during the backswing motion. In addition, significant increases in the mean amplitude and speed of the CoP and CoM displacement were found in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) axes (ps < 0.001), especially when both limbs were fatigued. The EMG analysis confirmed that fatigue modified the way APAs were generated. During fatigue, postural muscle activity increased, but was delayed with respect to movement onset (ps < 0.001). This pattern of response was more consistent when both limbs were fatigued (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The present results suggested an additive effect of fatigue and a functional adaptation and subsequent decrease in the overall variability of APAs, indicating that postural and motor processes are interdependent.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- AP:
-
Anteroposterior
- APAs:
-
Anticipatory postural adjustments
- BF:
-
Biceps femoris
- CNS:
-
Central nervous system
- CoM:
-
Centre of mass
- CoP:
-
Centre of pressure
- EMG:
-
Electromyography
- FM:
-
Fatigue of the motor limb
- FMP:
-
Fatigue of the motor and postural limb
- FP:
-
Fatigue of the postural limb
- GM:
-
Medial gastrocnemius
- ML:
-
Mediolateral
- NF:
-
No fatigue
- PL:
-
Peroneus longus
- RF:
-
Rectus femoris
- SENIAM:
-
Surface EMG for non-invasive assessment of muscles
- 3 D:
-
Three dimensional
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Acknowledgements
CAPES scholar—Process number BEX 14828/13-8. The authors would like to thank the participants and the anonymous reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions. Special thanks also are extended to Guillaume Chauvel for various contributions.
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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Ethics Committee (STAPS/FRA nº 2014-01-12-6) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.
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Silva, M.G., Struber, L., Daniel, O. et al. Effects of a lower limb muscular fatigue on posture–movement interaction during a lower limb pointing task. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 287–295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04529-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04529-9