Abstract
Surface electromyogram (EMG) spectrum changes in human tibialis anterior (TA) and gastroenemius medialis (GM) muscles were studied to investigate the effect of 4-week bed rest (BR) on muscle fatigability. An exhausting isometric test at 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction was performed by 12 clinically healthy men before and after BR. During this test, mean power frequency (MPF) calculated from surface EMG decreased linearly for TA and GM. When changes in MPF were expressed in terms of rate of decrease a significant difference appeared between TA and GM. Furthermore, as a result of BR, the shift in MPF increased significantly for GM (6.1% vs 10.4%) whereas it was not significantly changed for TA (28.6% vs 20.95%). Alterations in maximal torque were also observed with a more pronounced decrease for plantar-flexor (20.5%) compared with dorsiflexor (15.1%) muscles. These results would seem to indicate that simulated microgravity preferentially affects muscles having an antigravity function.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Appell HJ (1990) Muscular atrophy following immobilization. Sports Med 10:42–58
Berry P, Berry I, Manelfe C (1993) Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of lower limb muscles during bed rest — a microgravity simulation model. Aviat Space Environ Med 64:212–218
Booth FW (1982) Effect of limb immobilization on skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol 52:1113–1118
Bouissou P, Estrade PY, Goubel F, Guezennec CY, Serrurier B (1989) Surface EMG power spectrum and intramuscular pH in human vastus lateralis muscle during dynamic exercise. J Appl Physiol 67:1245–1249
Davies CTM, Rutherford IC, Thomas DO (1987) Electrically evoked contractions of the triceps surae during and following 21 days of voluntary leg immobilization. Eur J Appl Physiol 56:306–312
De Luca CJ (1984) Myoelectrical manifestations of localized muscular fatigue in humans. CRC Crit Rev Biomed Eng 11:251–279
Deitrick JE, Whedon GD, Shorr E (1948) Effects of immobilization upon various metabolic and physiologic functions of man. Am J Med 4:4–36
Desplanches D, Mayet MH, Sempore B, Flandrois R (1987) Structural and functional responses to prolonged hindlimb suspension in rat muscle. J Appl Physiol 63:558–563
Duchêne J, Goubel F (1990) EMG spectral shift as an indicator of fatigability in an heterogeneous muscle group. Eur J Appl Physiol 61:81–87
Duchêne J, Goubel F (1993) Surface electromyogram during voluntary contraction: processing tools and relation to physiological events. CRC Crit Rev Biomed Eng 21:313–397
Dudley GA, Duvoisin MR, Convertino VA, Buchanan P (1989) Alterations of the in vivo torque-velocity relationship of human skeletal muscle following 30 days exposure to simulated microgravity. Aviat Space Environ Med 60:659–663
Edwards R (1981) Human muscle function and fatigue In: Porter R, Whelan J (eds) Human muscle fatigue: physiological mechanisms, Pitman, London pp 1–18
Enoka RM, Stuart DG (1992) Neurobiology of muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 72:1631–1648
Fell RD, Gladden LB, Steffen JM, Musacchia XJ (1985) Fatigue and contraction of slow and fast muscles in hypokinetic/hypodynamic rats. J Appl Physiol 58:65–69
Greenleaf JE, Bulbulian R, Bernauer EM, Haskell WL, Moore T (1989) Exercise-training protocols for astronauts in microgravity. J Appl Physiol 67:2191–2204
Guëll A, Braak L Pavy Le Traon A, Gharib C (1991) Cardiovascular adaptation during simulated microgravity: lower body negative pressure to counter orthostatic hypotension. Aviat Space Environ Med 62:331–335
Hägg GM (1992) Interpretation of EMG spectral alterations and alteration indexes at sustained contraction. J Appl Physiol 73:1211–1217
Herbert ME, Roy RR, Edgerton VR (1988) Influence of one week hindlimb suspension and intermittent high load exercise on rat muscle. Exp Neurol 102:190–198
Hikida RS, Gollnick PD, Dudley GA, Convertino VA, Buchanan P (1989) Structural and metabolic characteristics of human skeletal muscle following 30 days of simulated microgravity. Aviat Space Environ Med 60:664–670
Horita T, Ishiko T (1987) Relationships between muscle lactate accumulation and surface EMG activities during isokinetic contractions in man. Eur J Appl Physiol 56:18–23
Ju KH, Lee CG, Tsunekawa M, Minamitani H, Onishi S, Yamazaki H (1991) EMG power spectrum and ammonia concentration during repeated isokinetic movement. Proceedings of 13th Annual International Conference. IEEE EMBS 13:839
Koslovskaya IB, Kreidich YV, Oganov VS, Koserenko OP (1981) Pathophysiology of motor functions in prolonged manned space flights. Acta Astronaut 8:1059–1072
Koslovskaya IB, Kreidich YV, Rachmanov AS (1984) Mechanisms of the effects of weightlessness on the motor system of man. Physiologist 24:S59-S63
Koslovskaya IB, Barmin VA, Stepantsov VI, Kharitonov NM (1990) Results of studies of motor functions in long-term space flights. Physiologist 33:S1-S3
La Fevers EV, Nicogossian AE, Hoftier GW, Hursta W, Baker J (1975) Spectral analysis of skeletal muscle changes resulting from 59 days of weightlessness in Skylab 2. Report no. JSC 09996 NASA TMX-58171. Lyndon Johnson Space Center, Houston
Laurent D, Portero P, Goubel F, Rossi A (1993) Electromyogram spectrum changes during sustained contraction related to proton and diprotonated inorganic phosphate accumulation: a31P nuclear magnetic resonance study on human calf muscles. Eur J Appl Physiol 66:263–268
Le Blanc AD, Gogia P, Schneider V, Krebs J, Schonfeld E, Evans H (1988) Calf muscle area and strength changes after five weeks of horizontal bed rest. Am J Sports Med 16:624–628
Le Blanc AD, Schneider VS, Evans HJ, Pientok C, Rowe R, Spector E (1992) Regional changes in muscle mass following 17 weeks of bed rest. J Appl Physiol 73:2172–2178
Lindström L, Kadefors R, Petersen I (1977) An electromyographic index for localized muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol 43:750–754
Lippold OCJ, Redfearn JWT, Vuco J (1960) The electromyography of fatigue. Ergonomics 3:121–131
McDonald KS, Delp MD, Fitts RH (1992) Fatigability and blood flow in the rat gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus after hindlimb suspension. J Appl Physiol 73:1135–1140
Merletti R, Knaflitz M, De Luca CJ (1990) Myoelectric manifestations of fatigue in voluntary and electrically elicited contractions. J Appl Physiol 69:1810–1820
Nashner LM, Woollacott M (1979) The organization of rapid postural adjustments of standing human: an experimental-concept model. In: Talbott RE, Humphrey DR (eds) Posture and movement. Raven Press, New York, pp 243–257
Sjogaard G, Adams RP, Saltin B (1985) Water and ion shifts in skeletal muscle of humans with intense dynamic knee extension. Am J Physiol 248:R190-R196
Thomason DB, Booth FW (1990) Atrophy of the soleus muscle by hindlimb unweighting. J Appl Physiol 68:1–12
Van Boxtel A, Goudswaard P, Van Der Molen GM, Van Den Bosch WEJ (1983) Changes in electromyogram power spectra of facial and jaw-elevator muscles during fatigue. J Appl Physiol 54:51–58
Winiarksi AM, Roy RR, Alford EK, Chiang PC, Edgerton VR (1987) Mechanical properties of rat skeletal muscle after hind limb suspension. Exp Neurol 96:650–660
Yegorov AD (1980) Results of medical research during the 175-day flight of the third prime crew on the Salyut 6-Soyuz orbital complex (NASA TM-76450). Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Health, Moscow
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Portero, P., Vanhoutte, C. & Goubel, F. Surface electromyogram power spectrum changes in human leg muscles following 4 weeks of simulated microgravity. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 73, 340–345 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02425496
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02425496