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The modulation of force steadiness by electrical nerve stimulation applied to the wrist extensors differs for young and older adults

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Abstract

Purpose

We compared the modulation of force steadiness by different types of electrical nerve stimulation in young (n = 13, 25 ± 4 years) and older (n = 12, 78 ± 5 years) adults.

Methods

The protocol involved four types of isometric contractions with the wrist-extensor muscles at 10% of the maximal force. Three of the contractions involved electrical nerve stimulation that comprised two forms of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to evoke muscle contractions and a voluntary contraction with superimposed transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) at an intensity less than motor threshold.

Results

The coefficient of variation (CV) for force during voluntary wrist extension was less (P = 0.03) for young (1.82 ± 0.43%) than older adults (2.80 ± 1.08%). The CV for force did not differ between age groups during the three types of electrical nerve stimulation but was reduced relative to the value observed during voluntary wrist extension for older adults. In contrast, the CV for force increased during the voluntary contraction with superimposed TENS for young adults but not for older adults. Moreover, there were significant negative correlations in older adults between the CV for force during the voluntary contraction and its decrease with electrical nerve stimulation.

Conclusion

Differences in the CV for force between the evoked and voluntary contractions for the two age groups suggest that the variance in common synaptic input to motor neurons during steady voluntary contractions with the wrist extensors is greater for older adults than young adults.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

CV:

Coefficient of variation

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

NMES:

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

TENS:

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

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Acknowledgements

We thank Melissa Mazzo and Ryan Price for drawing Fig. 1, and Professors Evangelos Christou and Allison Hyngstrom for providing comments on a draft of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the Rocky Mountain American College of Sports Medicine Research Grant awarded to Diba Mani and the American Society of Biomechanics Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid awarded to Daniel Feeney.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Campus Box 354, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Diba Mani, Daniel F. Feeney & Roger M. Enoka

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  1. Diba Mani
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  2. Daniel F. Feeney
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  3. Roger M. Enoka
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Correspondence to Diba Mani.

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The authors have declared that no financial conflict of interests exists.

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Communicated by Nicolas Place.

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Mani, D., Feeney, D.F. & Enoka, R.M. The modulation of force steadiness by electrical nerve stimulation applied to the wrist extensors differs for young and older adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 119, 301–310 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-4025-6

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