European Journal of Applied Physiology

, Volume 109, Issue 3, pp 405–415 | Cite as

The influence of muscle length on the fatigue-related reduction in joint range of motion of the human dorsiflexors

  • Arthur J. Cheng
  • Andrew W. Davidson
  • Charles L. Rice
Original Article
First Online:
Accepted:

Abstract

The fatigue-related reduction in joint range of motion (ROM) during dynamic contraction tasks may be related to muscle length-dependent alterations in torque and contractile kinetics, but this has not been systematically explored previously. Twelve young men performed a repetitive voluntary muscle shortening contraction task of the dorsiflexors at a contraction load of 30% of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) torque, until total 40° ROM had decreased by 50% at task failure (POST) to 20° ROM. At both a short (5° dorsiflexion) and long muscle length (35° plantar flexion joint angle relative to a 0° neutral ankle joint position), voluntary activation, MVC torque, and evoked tibialis anterior contractile properties of a 52.8 Hz high-frequency isometric tetanus [peak evoked torque, maximum rate of torque development (MRTD), maximum rate of relaxation (MRR)] were evaluated at baseline (PRE), at POST, and up to 10 min of recovery. At POST, we measured similar fatigue-related reductions in torque (voluntary and evoked) and slowing of contractile kinetics (MRTD and MRR) at both the short and long muscle lengths. Thus, the fatigue-related reduction in ROM could not be explained by length-dependent fatigue. Although torque (voluntary and evoked) at both muscle lengths was depressed and remained blunted throughout the recovery period, this was not related to the rapid recovery of ROM at 0.5 min after task failure. The reduction in ROM, however, was strongly related to the reduction in joint angular velocity (R 2  = 0.80) during the fatiguing task, although additional factors cannot yet be overlooked.

Keywords

Fatigue Recovery Torque Contractile slowing Muscle length Joint excursion 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Conflict of interest statement

We have no conflict of interest.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  • Arthur J. Cheng
    • 1
  • Andrew W. Davidson
    • 1
  • Charles L. Rice
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Faculty of Health Sciences, Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, School of KinesiologyThe University of Western OntarioLondonCanada
  2. 2.Department of Anatomy and Cell BiologyThe University of Western OntarioLondonCanada

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