Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of maturation on the etiology of neuromuscular fatigue induced by repeated maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC).
Methods
Nine prepubertal boys (9.9 ± 1.3 years), eight male adolescents (13.6 ± 1.3 years) and eleven men (23.4 ± 3.0 years) performed a series of repeated isometric MVICs of the knee extensors until the MVIC torque reached 60% of its initial value. Magnetic stimulations were delivered to the femoral nerve every five MVICs to follow the course of voluntary activation level (VA) and the potentiated twitch torque (Qtwpot).
Results
Task failure was reached after 52.9 ± 12.7, 42.6 ± 12.5, and 26.6 ± 6.3 repetitions in boys, adolescents and men, respectively. VA remained unchanged in men whereas it decreased significantly and similarly in boys and adolescents (p < 0.001). In contrast, Qtwpot remained unchanged in boys and decreased significantly less in adolescents than adults (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Children and adolescents experience less peripheral and more central fatigue than adults. However, adolescents experience more peripheral fatigue than children for a comparable amount of central fatigue. This finding supports the idea that the tolerance of the central nervous system to peripheral fatigue could increase during maturation.
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Abbreviations
- %CoAct:
-
Level of antagonist co-activation
- %REP:
-
Percentage of the number of repetitions
- η 2 :
-
Partial eta-squared
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- APHV:
-
Age from peak height velocity
- BF:
-
Biceps femoris
- CI:
-
Confidence interval
- EMG:
-
Electromyography
- KE:
-
Knee extensors
- M max :
-
Maximal M-wave amplitude
- MVIC:
-
Maximal voluntary isometric contractions
- M-wave:
-
Compound action potential
- Qtwpot :
-
Potentiated twitch torque
- Qtws :
-
Superimposed twitch torque
- Qtwunpot :
-
Unpotentiated twitch torque
- RF:
-
Rectus femoris
- RMS:
-
Root Mean Square
- VA:
-
Voluntary activation level
- VL:
-
Vastus lateralis
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Acknowledgements
Virginie Kluka was supported by a grant of the French National Agency of Technological Research (ANRT), n 2012/0284.
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The authors report no conflict of interest. A funding from the French National Agency of Technological Research (ANRT: n°2012/0284; Virginie Kluka) was received for this project. This work is known to and agreed by the co-authors identified on the manuscript’s title page. This work required more than six people, because of clinical examination (physician or pediatrician), recruitment of volunteers, experimental procedures, statistical analysis and data analysis.
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Piponnier, E., Martin, V., Bourdier, P. et al. Maturation-related changes in the development and etiology of neuromuscular fatigue. Eur J Appl Physiol 119, 2545–2555 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04233-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04233-3