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Single joint fatiguing exercise decreases long but not short–interval intracortical inhibition in older adults

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Abstract

Ageing is accompanied by neuromuscular changes which may alter fatigue in older adults. These changes may include changes in corticospinal excitatory and inhibitory processes. Previous research has suggested that single joint fatiguing exercise decreases short-(SICI) and long-(LICI) interval intracortical inhibition in young adults. However, this is yet to be established in older adults. In 19 young (23 ± 4 years) and 18 older (69 ± 5 years) adults, SICI (2 ms interstimulus interval; ISI) and LICI (100 ms ISI) were measured in a resting first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) before and after a 15 min sustained submaximal contraction at 25% of their maximum EMG. Subsequent ten 2-min contractions held at 25% EMG were also performed to sustain fatigue for a total of 30 min, while SICI and LICI were taken immediately after each contraction. There was no change in SICI post-fatiguing exercise compared to baseline in both young and older adults (P = 0.4). Although there was no change in LICI post-fatiguing exercise in younger adults (P = 1.0), LICI was attenuated in older adults immediately post-fatiguing exercise and remained attenuated post-fatigue (PF)1 and PF2 (P < 0.05). Contrary to previous studies, the lack of change in SICI and LICI in young adults following a sustained submaximal EMG contraction suggests that GABA modulation may be dependent on the type of fatiguing task performed. The reduction in LICI in older adults post-fatiguing exercise suggests an age-related decrease in GABAB-mediated activity with sustained submaximal fatiguing exercise.

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Abbreviations

AMT:

Active motor threshold

CS:

Conditioning Stimulus

EMG:

Electromyography

FDI:

First dorsal interosseous

GABAA :

Gamma aminobutyric acid type A receptor

GABAB :

Gamma aminobutyric acid type B receptor

ISI:

Interstimulus interval

LICI:

Long-interval cortical inhibition

SICI:

Short-interval cortical inhibition

MEP:

Motor-evoked potential

M max :

Maximum compound muscle action potential

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

PNS:

Peripheral nerve stimulation

RMT:

Resting motor threshold

TMS:

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

TS:

Test Stimulus

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Funding

Ms Lavender Otieno is funded by the Adelaide Graduate Research Scholarships Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Physiology, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, S433, Helen Mayo South, Frome Rd, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia

    Lavender A. Otieno, John G. Semmler & Simranjit K. Sidhu

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  1. Lavender A. Otieno
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  2. John G. Semmler
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  3. Simranjit K. Sidhu
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Correspondence to Simranjit K. Sidhu.

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Communicated by Winston D Byblow.

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Otieno, L.A., Semmler, J.G. & Sidhu, S.K. Single joint fatiguing exercise decreases long but not short–interval intracortical inhibition in older adults. Exp Brain Res 239, 47–58 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-020-05958-w

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