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The effect of muscle fatigue on stimulus intensity requirements for central and peripheral fatigue quantification

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Abstract

Purpose

The present study was designed to determine the stimulation intensity necessary for an adequate assessment of central and peripheral components of neuromuscular fatigue of the knee extensors.

Methods

Three different stimulation intensities (100, 120 and 150 % of the lowest intensity evoking a plateau in M-waves and twitch amplitudes, optimal stimulation intensity, OSI) were used to assess voluntary activation level (VAL) as well as M-wave, twitch and doublet amplitudes before, during and after an incremental isometric exercise performed by 14 (8 men) healthy and physically active volunteers. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate the associated discomfort.

Results

There was no difference (p > 0.05) in VAL between the three intensities before and after exercise. However, we found that stimulating at 100 % OSI may overestimate the extent of peripheral fatigue during exercise, whereas 150 % OSI stimulations led to greater discomfort associated with doublet stimulations as well as to an increased antagonist co-activation compared to 100 % OSI.

Conclusion

We recommend using 120 % OSI, as it constitutes a good trade-off between discomfort and reliable measurements.

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Abbreviations

BF:

Biceps femoris

EMG:

Electromyography

MVC:

Maximal Voluntary Contraction

OSI:

Optimal Stimulation Intensity

RF:

Rectus femoris

RMS:

Root Mean Square

RMS/M:

RMS normalized by the M-wave amplitude

VAL:

Voluntary Activation Level

VL:

Vastus lateralis

VM:

Vastus medialis

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the De Reuter foundation and the Geneva Academic Society. The authors thank all the subjects who volunteered to participate and Marc Buclin for the design and conception of the ergometer.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Movement Sciences and Sports Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Daria Neyroud

  2. Institute of Sport Sciences and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Building Geopolis, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Daria Neyroud, Alexia Vallotton, Bengt Kayser & Nicolas Place

  3. Université de Lyon, 42023, Saint-Étienne, France

    Guillaume Y. Millet

Authors
  1. Daria Neyroud
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  2. Alexia Vallotton
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  3. Guillaume Y. Millet
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  4. Bengt Kayser
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  5. Nicolas Place
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicolas Place.

Additional information

Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Neyroud, D., Vallotton, A., Millet, G.Y. et al. The effect of muscle fatigue on stimulus intensity requirements for central and peripheral fatigue quantification. Eur J Appl Physiol 114, 205–215 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2760-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2760-2

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