Abstract
Purpose
The present study compared isometric, concentric and eccentric contractions at the same torque-time integral for changes in neuromuscular fatigue and muscle damage parameters.
Method
Healthy men (18–24 years) were placed to either isometric (ISO), concentric (CONC), or eccentric (ECC) group (n = 11/group) that performed corresponding contractions of the knee extensors to exert the same amount of torque-time integral (24,427 ± 291 Nm·s). Changes in maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, voluntary activation, evoked torque at 10 Hz and 100 Hz and its ratio, M-wave amplitude, and muscle soreness were assessed immediately before and after, 1 h, 1 day and 2 days after each exercise, and were compared among the groups.
Results
MVC torque decreased immediately after ISO (− 17.0 ± 8.3%), CONC (− 21.7 ± 11.5%) and ECC (− 26.2 ± 15.6%) similarly (p = 0.35), but the decrease sustained longer (p < 0.05) for ECC (2 days post-exercise: − 12.9 ± 14.8%) and ISO (− 5.5 ± 7.9%) than CONC (+ 5.0 ± 11.0%). Muscle soreness developed after ECC (25.1 ± 19.8 mm) and ISO (17.5 ± 21.0 mm) similarly (p = 0.15). Voluntary activation decreased immediately (− 3.7 ± 6.6%) and 1 h post-exercise (− 4.7 ± 7.6%) for all groups similarly. Electrically evoked forces decreased greater immediately (− 30.1 ± 15.6%) and 1 h post-exercise (− 35.0 ± 12.8%) for ECC than others, and the decrease in 10/100 Hz ratio was also greater immediately (− 30.5 ± 12.6%) and 1 h after ECC (− 23.8 ± 10.3%) than others.
Conclusion
ISO, CONC and ECC with the same torque-time integral produced similar neuromuscular fatigue at immediately post-exercise, but the force loss was longer-lasting after ISO and ECC than CONC, and the changes in peripheral fatigue parameters were the greatest after ECC, suggesting greater muscle damage.
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Abbreviations
- ISO:
-
Isometric
- CONC:
-
Concentric
- ECC:
-
Eccentric
- MVC:
-
Maximal voluntary contraction
- EMG:
-
Electromyography
- DOMS:
-
Delayed onset muscle soreness
- CK:
-
Creatine kinase
- KE:
-
Knee extensors
- IPAQ:
-
International physical activity questionnaire
- VA:
-
Voluntary activation
- CAR:
-
Central activation ratio
- VAS:
-
Visual analogic scale
- VM:
-
Vastus medialis
- VL:
-
Vastus lateralis
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NR, KN, VD and MJ conceived and designed research. NR conducted the experiments and collected the data. NR analyzed the data. NR, KN, VD and MJ drafted the manuscript. All authors provided critical appraisal to the manuscript and approved the final version. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Communicated by Nicolas Place.
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Royer, N., Nosaka, K., Doguet, V. et al. Neuromuscular responses to isometric, concentric and eccentric contractions of the knee extensors at the same torque-time integral. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 127–139 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04817-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04817-y