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Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation intensity over the tibial nerve trunk on triceps surae muscle fatigue

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was designed to investigate whether the intensity modulation of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) protocol delivered over the nerve trunk of the plantar flexors would lead to differential peripheral and central contributions of muscle fatigue.

Methods

Three fatiguing isometric protocols of the plantar flexors matched for the same amount of isometric torque-time integral (TTI) were randomly performed including a volitional protocol at 20 % of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and two NMES protocols (one at constant intensity, CST; the other at intensity level progressively adjusted to maintain 20 % of MVC, PROG).

Results

No time x protocol interaction was found for any of the variables. The MVC decreased similarly (≈12 %, p < 0.001) after all protocols, so did the potentiated twitch responses (p = 0.001). Although voluntary activation of the plantar flexors did not change, maximal H-reflex to M-wave ratio of the soleus (SOL) and the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscles showed an overall increase (SOL: p = 0.037, GM: p = 0.041), while it remained stable for the gastrocnemius lateralis muscle (p = 0.221). A main time effect was observed only for the SOL maximal V-wave to the superimposed M-wave ratio (p = 0.024) and to the superimposed H-reflex (p = 0.008). While similar central and peripheral adaptations were observed after the three fatiguing protocols, the individual contribution of the three different triceps surae muscles was different.

Conclusion

Whether the current intensity was increased or not, the adaptations after a NMES protocol yield to similar muscle fatigue adaptations as voluntary contractions likely through similar pathways matching a similar TTI.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by the bilateral researcher exchange program Aurora, financed by the Norwegian Research Council and the French Ministry of Foreign affairs (Grant number: 27407SG) (http://www.campusfrance.org/fr/aurora). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Laboratory of Human Motricity Education Sport and Health (EA 6309), Faculty of Sport Sciences, 261, route de Grenoble B.P. 32 59, 06205, Nice Cedex 03, France

    Aude-Clémence M. Doix & Serge S. Colson

  2. Department of Human Movement Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Aude-Clémence M. Doix & Karin Roeleveld

  3. INSERM U1093, Laboratory, Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France

    Boris Matkowski & Alain Martin

  4. LAMHESS, EA 6309, University of Toulon, La Garde, France

    Aude-Clémence M. Doix & Serge S. Colson

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  1. Aude-Clémence M. Doix
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  2. Boris Matkowski
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  3. Alain Martin
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Correspondence to Aude-Clémence M. Doix.

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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Doix, AC.M., Matkowski, B., Martin, A. et al. Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation intensity over the tibial nerve trunk on triceps surae muscle fatigue. Eur J Appl Physiol 114, 317–329 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2780-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2780-y

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