Abstract
Purpose
To determine the effects of performing a self-regulated cognitive dual task on time to failure and neuromuscular force control during submaximal isometric contractions.
Methods
Fifteen young sedentary males performed isometric contractions at 50% of each individual’s maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) under single-task (without cognitive load) and dual-task (with self-regulated mathematical task) conditions. Force signal complexity and biceps brachialis muscle activity were determined at the start, middle, and end of each trial. The slope of the linear regression of median frequency determined the rate of muscle fatigue. Force-task error was established as any amplitude percentage greater or less than 50% MVC.
Results
The dual-task condition resulted in a 42 s longer time to failure than the single-task condition. EMG amplitude did not differ between conditions. The rate of muscle fatigue was higher in the single-task (− 0.35%/s) than the dual-task (− 0.2%/s) condition. Force signal complexity was, on average, 22% lower in the dual-task condition. The dual-task condition, as compared to the single-task condition, elicited a higher rate of force-task error below (6.37 versus 4.76%) and over (2.11 versus 1.68%) the force threshold.
Conclusion
The dual-task condition resulted in a longer time to failure and decreased motor output complexity and fatigue rate when performing a submaximal force task. As the dual task also increased the force-task error, we suggest cognitive dual tasks as a possible strategy for delaying fatigue in sedentary young males when exerting submaximal isometric force, contributing to neuromuscular training when error in force control can be ignored.
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Abbreviations
- CI:
-
Coefficient interval
- sEMG:
-
Surface electromyography
- MDF:
-
Median frequency
- MVC:
-
Maximal voluntary contraction
- RMS:
-
Root mean square
- SampEn:
-
Sample entropy
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Acknowledgements
FPC is supported by CNPq. The authors would like to thank Priscila Escobar Gimpel for creating the illustration of the experimental setup.
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CCM, CI, CB and BM conceived and designed research. CI, CB and BM conducted experiments. CCM, JC and FPC contributed new reagents or analytical tools. CCM JQ analyzed data. CCM, JC, CI, CB, BM, VER, and FPC wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript
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CCM, JC, CI, CB, BM, VER, and FPC have nothing to declare.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.
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Cruz-Montecinos, C., Calatayud, J., Iturriaga, C. et al. Influence of a self-regulated cognitive dual task on time to failure and complexity of submaximal isometric force control. Eur J Appl Physiol 118, 2021–2027 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3936-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3936-6