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Effect of constant, predictable, and unpredictable motor tasks on motor performance and blood markers of stress

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Abstract

An unfamiliar or novel physical stimulus induces activation of dopaminergic neurons within the brain and greater activity in areas involved in emotion; considering this, we aimed to establish whether unpredictable prolonged (fatiguing) motor task (vs. constant vs. predictable) evokes greater dopaminergic activity, enhances neuromuscular performance, motor accuracy, and perception of effort, and delays overall central fatigue. Fifteen healthy male volunteers (aged 22 ± 4 years) were required to perform 1 of 3 exercise trials (at least 1 week apart) of 100 intermittent isometric contraction (IIC) tasks involving knee extensions at 60° flexion. Trials were structured differently by simulated contraction intensity. A fatigue task involved 5-s contractions and 20-s rest. Variables measured before, during, and after IIC were electrically induced force, maximal voluntary contraction, central activation ratio, intramuscular temperature, and blood levels of dopamine, cortisol, and prolactin, and intraindividual motor variability and accuracy (constant and absolute error). We found that IIC increased central and peripheral fatigue, force sensation, and T mu, and decreased absolute and constant error without visual feedback, but did not affect motor variability. There were no significant differences between the three IIC tasks. However, only unpredictable tasks increased dopaminergic activity, which was insufficient to affect central motivation to perform isometric exercise and alter centrally mediated components of fatigue.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mrs. Danute Juciene for collecting the blood samples and gathering the volunteers to participate in this research. Funding for this work was provided by Research Council of Lithuania Grant No. MIP-017/2014.

Author’s contribution statement

The authors AS and MB contributed to the design of the work. The authors LK, NE, NB, DM performed the experiments. The authors LK, AS, MC, MB, DU contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data for the work. The authors LK, AS, MB drafted the work for important intellectual content. The authors DM, DU, NE, NB, MC finally approved the version to be submitted. The author MB contributed to the revision of this work. All the authors agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Biology and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto str. 6, 44221, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Laura Kyguoliene, Albertas Skurvydas, Dalia Mickeviciene & Marius Brazaitis

  2. Sports Science and Innovation Institute, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto str. 6, 44221, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Albertas Skurvydas, Nerijus Eimantas, Neringa Baranauskienė, Margarita Cernych & Marius Brazaitis

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicines, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Science, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Daiva Urboniene

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  1. Laura Kyguoliene
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  2. Albertas Skurvydas
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  3. Nerijus Eimantas
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Correspondence to Marius Brazaitis.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Kyguoliene, L., Skurvydas, A., Eimantas, N. et al. Effect of constant, predictable, and unpredictable motor tasks on motor performance and blood markers of stress. Exp Brain Res 235, 1323–1336 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-017-4894-7

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