Abstract
Purpose
The present study aimed to directly compare the effects of 30 min muscle (VIBmuscle) vs. tendon (VIBtendon) local vibration (LV) to the quadriceps on maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and rate of torque development (RTD) as well as on central nervous system excitability (i.e. motoneuron and cortical excitability).
Methods
Before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) LV applied to the quadriceps muscle or its tendon, we investigated MVIC and RTD (STUDY #1; n = 20) or vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM) and rectus femoris (RF) electromyography responses to thoracic electrical stimulation (TMEPs; motoneuron excitability) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (MEPs; corticospinal excitability) (STUDY #2; n = 17). MEP/TMEP ratios were further calculated to quantify changes in cortical excitability.
Results
MVIC decreased at POST (P = 0.017) without any difference between VIBtendon and VIBmuscle, while RTD decreased for VIBtendon (P = 0.013) but not VIBmuscle. TMEP amplitudes were significantly decreased for all muscles (P = 0.014, P < 0.001 and P = 0.004 for VL, VM and RF, respectively) for both LV sites. While no changes were observed for MEP amplitude, MEP/TMEP ratios increased at POST for VM and RF muscles (P = 0.009 and P = 0.013, respectively) for both VIBtendon and VIBmuscle.
Conclusion
The present results suggest that prolonged muscle and tendon LV are similarly effective in modulating central nervous system excitability and decreasing maximal force. Yet, altered explosive performance after tendon but not muscle LV suggests greater neural alterations when tendons are vibrated.
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Abbreviations
- EMG:
-
Electromyography
- LV:
-
Local vibration
- MEP:
-
Motor evoked potential
- Mmax :
-
Resting maximal M-wave
- MVIC:
-
Maximal voluntary isometric contraction
- PNS:
-
Peripheral nerve stimulation
- POST:
-
After
- PRE:
-
Before
- RF:
-
Rectus femoris
- RTD:
-
Rate of torque development
- TES:
-
Thoracic electrical stimulation
- TMEP:
-
Thoracic MEP
- TMS:
-
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
- VIBmuscle :
-
Muscle local vibration
- VIBtendon :
-
Tendon local vibration
- VL:
-
Vastus lateralis
- VM:
-
Vastus medialis
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DK, RS, GYM and TL conceived and designed research. DK, GV and LE conducted experiments. DK, GV and TL analyzed data. DK, GV and TL wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript
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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.
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Kennouche, D., Varesco, G., Espeit, L. et al. Acute effects of quadriceps muscle versus tendon prolonged local vibration on force production capacities and central nervous system excitability. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 2451–2461 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05028-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05028-9