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Differences in electromechanical delay components induced by sex, age and physical activity level: new insights from a combined electromyographic, mechanomyographic and force approach

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Abstract

Background

Electromyographic (EMG), mechanomyographic (MMG) and force (F) signals combined analysis represents an interesting approach to partition the electrochemical and mechanical events contributing to total electromechanical delay, i.e., the time lag existing between the muscle activation and the onset of force generation.

Aim

The study sought to assess the differences in electromechanical delay due to sex, age, and physical activity level.

Methods

Electromechanical components were assessed on vastus lateralis muscle during a maximum voluntary contraction and electrically evoked contractions in 180 participants. During each contraction, the EMG, MMG and F signals were recorded. Electromechanical delays and its two components (Δt EMG-MMG, mainly electrochemical component; and Δt MMG-F, mainly mechanical component) were computed. Measurements’ reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC) and sensitivity (minimum detectable changes at 95% confidence as a percentage, MDC95%) were also calculated.

Results

ICC spanned from 0.89 to 0.97 with a percentage change of the standard error of the measurement (SEM%) ranging from 1.6 to 4.9%. MDC95% values ranged between 3.1 and 9.8%. Longer electromechanical delay values were observed in: (1) women compared to men; (2) 40–45 years old compared to 30–35 years and 20–25 years; and (3) sedentary than active participants. Differences were accompanied by increments in Δt MMG-F but not in Δt EMG-MMG values.

Conclusions

The alterations in the whole electromechanical delay induced by sex, age, and physical activity level could be ascribed to the difference in the duration of the mechanical events included in the electromechanical delay, possibly due to modifications in the muscle–tendon unit characteristics.

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Abbreviations

EMG:

Surface electromyographic

MMG:

Mechanomyographic signal

Δt :

Time latency

Stim:

Stimulation current

S:

Sedentary

A:

Active

M:

Men

W:

Women

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

pT:

Peak torque

EMD:

Electromechanical delay during voluntary contraction

DelayTOT :

Electromechanical delay during electrically evoked contraction

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the participants involved in the study, for their patience and committed involvement. The study was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) as post-doctoral fellow to Hasan Sözen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Ordu, Ordu, Turkey

    Hasan Sözen

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy

    E. Cè, A. V. Bisconti, S. Rampichini, S. Longo, G. Coratella, S. Shokohyar, C. Doria, M. Borrelli, E. Limonta & F. Esposito

  3. IRCCS, Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy

    E. Cè, E. Limonta & F. Esposito

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  1. Hasan Sözen
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Correspondence to Hasan Sözen.

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The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the latest Helsinki Declaration upon receiving necessary approval from Milan University Ethics Committee (CE 27/17 11-07-2017).

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Sözen, H., Cè, E., Bisconti, A.V. et al. Differences in electromechanical delay components induced by sex, age and physical activity level: new insights from a combined electromyographic, mechanomyographic and force approach. Sport Sci Health 15, 623–633 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-019-00563-z

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