Abstract
Purpose
To describe the neuromuscular and perceptual responses to incline, decline or level treadmill exercise.
Methods
Fifteen healthy subjects performed on separate days 45 min treadmill exercise at 75% heart rate reserve in a level (+ 1% slope), incline (+ 15%) or decline condition (− 15%). Neuromuscular function of the knee extensors (KE) was assessed before and after exercise. Perception of effort, muscle pain and pleasure were measured during the exercise. Muscle pain was also reported up to 96 h after exercise.
Results
At the same heart rate, the decline exercise was performed at a higher velocity. This higher velocity was associated with a higher perceived effort and muscle pain, as well as lower pleasure. Maximal isometric KE peak torque and maximal voluntary activation similarly decreased in the three conditions (~ 15 ± 12 and ~ 4 ± 4%). M-wave amplitude of the vastus medialis muscle decreased in the three conditions (~ − 12 ± 13%). M-wave amplitude of the rectus femoris muscle decreased only after the decline exercise (− 12 ± 16%). Peak twitch torque of the electrically evoked contractions was reduced after incline and decline exercises for both 10 and 100 Hz doublets (− 8 ± 9 and − 17 ± 18%). The Dt10/Dt100 ratio was reduced only after decline exercise (− 24 ± 19%).
Conclusion
At the same moderate intensity, decline exercise induced a greater level of muscle fatigue associated with a higher perceived effort and muscle pain than incline and level exercise. Exercise intensity should be carefully monitored during decline locomotion for training or rehabilitation purposes.
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Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- Ca2+ :
-
Calcium ion
- Dt 10 Hz (or 100 Hz):
-
Doublet at a 10 Hz (or 100 Hz) frequency
- EMG:
-
Electromyography or electromyographic
- HRR :
-
Heart rate reserve
- HRt:
-
Half-relaxation time
- K+ :
-
Potassium ion
- MRTD:
-
Maximal rate of torque development
- MVCCON :
-
Concentric maximal voluntary contraction
- MVCECC :
-
Eccentric maximal voluntary contraction
- MVCISO :
-
Isometric maximal voluntary contraction
- Na+ :
-
Sodium ion
- Pt:
-
Peak twitch
- RF:
-
Rectus femoris muscle
- RMS:
-
Root mean square
- RMS-EMG:
-
RMS value of the EMG signal
- SD:
-
Standard deviation
- SE:
-
Standard error
- VAL:
-
Voluntary activation level
- VAS:
-
Visual analogue scale
- VM:
-
Vastus medialis muscle
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Conception and design of research: Y.M.G., C.P., and R.L.; data acquisition: Y.M.G., C.P. and Q.D.; data analysis: Y.M.G., B.P., and Q.D.; interpretation of the results: Y.M.G., B.P., C.P., and R.L.; first draft of the manuscript: Y.M.G.; revision and edition of the manuscript: Y.M.G., B.P., C.P., and R.L. All of the authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.
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Garnier, Y.M., Lepers, R., Dubau, Q. et al. Neuromuscular and perceptual responses to moderate-intensity incline, level and decline treadmill exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 118, 2039–2053 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3934-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3934-8