Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of support deprivation on the order of motor unit recruitment

  • Short Communications
  • Published:
Human Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Motor unit (MU) activity in the leg extensors has been tested by maintenance of a small isometric effort under the conditions of support deprivation enabled by dry immersion with simultaneous mechanic stimulation of the foot support zones. The analysis of MU interspike interval (ISI) histograms in the heads of two leg extensors (m. soleus and m. gastrocnemius lat.) revealed that the order of MU recruitment is extremely dependent on the support input activity. In immersion, the order of MU recruitment was rear-ranged during the isometric effort maintenance test, which revealed weaker involvement of small tonic MUs. Large MUs with longer ISIs (up to 260 ms) and high variability replaced small tonic MUs with relatively short ISIs (100 ms) and low variability. Daily support stimulation under the conditions of immersion was favorable for maintaining the normal pattern of MU recruitment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Il’ina-Kakueva, E.I. and Kaplanskii, A.S., Muscular atrophy in real and simulated microgravity, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2005, vol. 39, no. 5, p. 23.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kirenskaya, A.V., Kozlovskaya, I.B., and Sirota, M.G., The effect of immersion hypokinesia on the characteristics of the soleus muscle locomotor activity, Fiziol. Chel., 1986, vol. 12, no. 4, p. 627.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Mel’nik, K.A., Artamonov, A.L., Miller, T.F., and Voronov, A.V., The effect of mechanical stimulation of the support zones of sole during 7-day dry immersion on the kinematic parameters of human locomotion, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2006, vol. 40, no. 5, p. 61.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Shenkman, B.S. and Kozlovskaya, I.B., Muscles: structure and histophysiology, in Kosmicheskaya biologiya i meditsina: Chelovek v kosmicheskom polete (Space Biology and Medicine: Human in Space Flight), Gazenko, O.G., Grigor’ev, A.I., Nikogsyan, A.S., and Moler, S.R., Eds., Moscow, 1997, vol. 3, no. 1, p. 401.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Shul’zhenko, E.B. and Vil’-Vil’yams, I.F., Possible long term water immersion by dry submersion method, Kosm. Biol. Aviakosm. Med., 1976, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 32.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fitts, R.H., Riley, D.R., and Widrick, J.J., Functional and structural adaptations of skeletal muscle to microgravity, J. Exp. Biol., 2001, vol. 204, no. 18, p. 3201.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hodgson, J.A., Bodine-Fowler, S.C., Roy, R.R., et al., Changes in recruitment of rhesus soleus and gastrocnemius musckel following a 14 day spaceflight, J. Physiol., 1991. vol. 34, no. 1 (suppl.), p. 102.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Khusnutdinova, D., Netreba, A., and Kozlovskaya, I., Mechanic stimulation of the soles support zones as a counter-measure of the contractile properties decline under microgravity conditions, J. Gravitational Physiol., 2004, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 141.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kozlovskaya, I., Dmitrieva, I., Grigorieva, L., et al., Gravitational mechanisms in the motor system. Studies in real and simulated weightlessness, in Stance and Motion: Facts and Concepts, Gurfinkel, V., Ioffe, M.E., Massion, J., and Roll, J.P., Eds., New York: Plenum, 1988, p. 37.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Kozlovskaya, I.B. and Kirenskaya, A.V., Mechanisms of disorders of the characteristics of fine movements in long-term hypokinesia, Neurosci. Behav. Physiol., 2004, vol. 34, no. 7, p. 747.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kozlovskaya, I.B., Sayenko, I.V., Sayenko, D.G., et al., Role of support afferentation in control of the tonic muscle activity, Acta Astronaut., 2007. vol. 60, nos. 4–7, p. 285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Leahy, J.C. and Durkovic, R.G., Differential synaptic effects on physiological flexor hindlimb motoneurons from cutaneous nerve inputs in spinal cat, J. Neurophysiol., 1991. vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 460.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Miller, T.F., Saenko, I.V., Popov, D.V., et al., Effect of mechanical stimulation of the support zones of soles on the muscle stiffness in 7-day dry immersion, J. Gravitational Physiol., 2004, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 135.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ohira, Y., Yoshinaga, T., Nomura, T., et al., Gravitational unloading effects on muscle fiber size, phenotype and myonuclear number, Adv. Space Res., 2002, vol. 30, no. 4, p. 777.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Perrier, J.F. and Hounsgaard, J., Development and regulation of response properties in spinal cord motoneurons, Brain Res. Bull., 2000, vol. 53, no. 5, p. 529.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Recktenwald, M.R., Hodgson, J.A., Roy, R.R., et al., Effects of spaceflight on rhesus quadrupedal locomotion after return to 1 G, J. Neurophysiol., 1999, vol. 81, no. 5, p. 2451.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Reschke, M.F., Bloomberg, J.J., Paloski, W.H., et al., Postural reflexes, balance control, and functional mobility with long-duration head-down bed rest, Aviat., Space Environ. Med., 2009. vol. 80, no. 5 (suppl.), p. 45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Roy, R.R., Baldwin, K.M., and Edgerton, V.R., The plasticity of skeletal muscle: effects of neuromuscular activity, Exercise Sports Sci., 1991, vol. 19, p. 269.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Sugajima, Y., Mitarai, G., Koeda, M., and Moritani, T., Characteristic changes of motor unit activity in hip joint flexor muscles during voluntary isometric contraction during water immersion, J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol., 1996, vol. 6, no. 2, p. 83.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Wada, N., Takayama, R., Kanda, K., and Tokuriki, M., Polysynaptic neuronal pathways from group I and group II afferents innervating tail muscles to hindlimb motoneurons in the cat, Brain Res., 1998. vol. 788, nos. 1–2, p. 327.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123007, Russia

    T. A. Shigueva, A. Z. Zakirova, E. S. Tomilovskaya & I. B. Kozlovskaya

Authors
  1. T. A. Shigueva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Z. Zakirova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. S. Tomilovskaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I. B. Kozlovskaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. A. Shigueva.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © T.A. Shigueva, A.Z. Zakirova, E.S. Tomilovskaya, I.B. Kozlovskaya, 2013, published in Aviakosmicheskaya i Ekologicheskaya Meditsina, 2013, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 50–53.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shigueva, T.A., Zakirova, A.Z., Tomilovskaya, E.S. et al. Effect of support deprivation on the order of motor unit recruitment. Hum Physiol 41, 813–816 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1134/S036211971507021X

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S036211971507021X

Keywords

Search

Navigation