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Can measures of muscle–tendon interaction improve our understanding of the superiority of Kenyan endurance runners?

European Journal of Applied Physiology volume 115, pages 849–859 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Leg muscle activation profiles and muscle–tendon interaction were studied with eleven internationally high-level Kenyan and eleven national level Japanese distance runners.

Methods

Ultrasonography and kinematics were applied together with surface electromyography (EMG) recordings of leg muscles when subjects ran on treadmill at 9.0 (SLOW) and 13.9 km h−1 (MEDIUM).

Results

At each speed, both groups presented similar contact and flight times. The kinematic and ultrasound analyses revealed that, in contrast to the Japanese runners, the Kenyans demonstrated during contact smaller stretching and shortening amplitudes (p < 0.01) of the tendinous tissue of medial gastrocnemius (MG), but greater tendon contribution to the muscle–tendon unit shortening (p < 0.05). The MG fascicles of the Kenyans were shorter not only at the resting standing position, but also during the contact phase at both running speeds (p < 0.01). The EMG profiles of the Kenyans showed lower braking/preactivation ratio in both MG and tibialis anterior (p < 0.05) muscles. They were also characterized by negative relationships between the Achilles tendon moment arm and the MG fascicle shortening during contact (r = −0.54, p < 0.01). In contrast, the Japanese presented the classical stretch–shortening cycle muscle activation profile of relatively high MG EMG activity during the braking phase.

Conclusion

These findings provide new suggestions that the Kenyans have unique structural characteristics which can result in the reduction of muscle and tendinous stretch–shortening loading together with smaller muscle activation during contact at submaximal running speed.

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Abbreviations

aEMG:

Averaged EMG

EMG:

Surface electromyogram

iEMG:

Integrated EMG

MAAT :

Achilles tendon moment arm

MG:

Medial gastrocnemius

MG LFa :

MG fascicle length

MG LMTU :

MG muscle–tendon unit length

MG LTT :

MG tendinous tissues length

MTU:

Muscle–tendon unit

SOL:

Soleus

SSC:

Stretch-shortening cycle

TA:

Tibialis anterior

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Kipchoge Keino and the IAAF High Performance Training Centre, Kenya for helping recruitments of subjects and providing measurement place. Also, the authors thank Mr. Julian Wayne for checking the English language. This work was supported by MEXT/JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 20800061, 23700756, 23500729 and 26702026.

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interests declared.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Osaka University of Health and Sport Science, Asashirodai 1-1, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-Gun, Osaka, 590-0496, Japan

    Kanae Sano, Masanobu Akiyama, Yoko Kunimasa, Akira Ito & Masaki Ishikawa

  2. CNRS, UMR 7287, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France

    Caroline Nicol

  3. Norwegian School of Sport Science, Oslo, Norway

    Caroline Nicol

  4. Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Katō, Hyogo, Japan

    Toshiaki Oda

  5. International Association of Athletics Federations, Monaco, Monaco

    Elio Locatelli

  6. NMRC and Likes Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Paavo V. Komi

Authors
  1. Kanae Sano
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  2. Caroline Nicol
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  3. Masanobu Akiyama
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  4. Yoko Kunimasa
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  5. Toshiaki Oda
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  6. Akira Ito
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  7. Elio Locatelli
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  8. Paavo V. Komi
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  9. Masaki Ishikawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kanae Sano.

Additional information

Communicated by Olivier Seynnes.

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Sano, K., Nicol, C., Akiyama, M. et al. Can measures of muscle–tendon interaction improve our understanding of the superiority of Kenyan endurance runners?. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 849–859 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3067-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3067-7

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