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Biomedical subjects

E Cafarelli

Publications and source records attributed to E Cafarelli.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Effect of vibration on antagonist muscle coactivation during progressive fatigue in humans.

1. Biceps femoris antagonist coactivation increases during progressive fatigue. Our purpose was to determine if the mechanism that increases coactivation during fatigue is susceptible to vibration. Vibration drives alpha-motoneurons via the Ia loop, producing force without descending motor drive, and thus uncoupling antagonist and agonist activation. Evidence that vibration increases coactivation disproportionately from its 'common drive' would suggest the possibility that some of the effects of fatigue are mediated through a segmental reflex loop. 2. Ten male subjects performed repeated maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVCs) of the knee extensors of one leg. Paired submaximal test contractions (50% of MVC), without visual feedback, were performed when MVC reached 85, 70 and then 50% of its initial value. Vibration was applied to the patellar tendon during one test contraction in each pair. 3. Vibration reduced test contraction force below control values. However, coactivation increased at the same rate in both conditions. Biceps femoris coactivation was greater during vibration, but did not change during fatigue in either condition. 4. Our observations suggest that agonist-antagonist muscle pairs are controlled as a single motor unit pool by a common central drive. Vibrating the agonist increases antagonist coactivity, but does not alter the rate at which coactivation increases during fatigue. This supports the idea that agonist coactivation is controlled by a central mechanism.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Effect of endurance training on muscle activation and force sensation.

One of the consequences of endurance training is a reduction in force sensation in trained muscles at any exercise intensity. To study the central and peripheral contributions to this adaptation, we trained six male subjects with single-leg cycling at 60% VO2 peak (30 min/day x 3 days/week x 8 weeks); six others were matched controls. Measurements were made during separate 20-min, single-leg rides at 70% pre-training VO2 peak, with trained (TR), untrained (UT), and control (CT) legs, before and after training. No pre-post differences were observed in the control group. VO2 peak increased 18% (p < 0.05) in the TR leg and 6% (p < 0.05) in the UT leg of the trained subjects. Force sensation was significantly less in both the TR (70%; p < 0.05) and UT (50%; p < 0.05) legs during 20 min of single-leg cycling after training. Vastus lateralis EMG, plasma lactate, and heart rate were all significantly (p < 0.05) lower when cycling with either the TR or UT leg, which were both lower than when cycling with the CT leg, at the end of each 20-min ride. These data reflect an intramuscular environment that is better adapted to endurance performance by virtue of both central and peripheral mechanisms. Thus, there is less need to recruit additional motor units to maintain the same power output, and this reduced motor outflow leads to a decline in force sensation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1995

Performance and excitability of mdx mouse muscle at 2, 5, and 13 wk of age.

Dystrophin is a 427-kDa protein localized adjacent to the sarcolemma in skeletal muscle. Its physiological role remains uncertain, although its absence is known to cause muscular dystrophy. In this study, the function of dystrophin was investigated using the dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse. Control and mdx animals at 2, 5, and 13 wk of age (n = 8-11/age) were compared to evaluate in situ gastrocnemius-plantaris-soleus muscle contractile, endurance, and excitability properties at nondegenerated, degenerated, and regenerated stages, respectively. Twitch and tetanic tensions expressed per gram of muscle mass were lower in mdx muscle only at 5 wk. Fatigue produced during successive contractions at 2, 10, and 20 Hz did not differ between the two groups at 2 and 5 wk but was lower in mdx muscle at 13 wk. This was not attributed to differences in mitochondria, since cytochrome-c oxidase activity was similar in mdx and control muscle. Contractile properties of control and mdx muscle became faster with age, and at 13 wk the time to peak twitch tension was shorter in mdx muscle relative to control, whereas the half-relaxation times did not differ. Mass action potential area (M wave), an index of muscle excitability, was not significantly different between mdx and control muscle at 2 or 5 wk but was greater in mdx muscle at 13 wk. Thus, in this weight-bearing muscle group, the lack of dystrophin has only a moderate impact in modifying muscle function relative to contractile properties, fatigability, or excitability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗
PubMed1994

The processing of human ballistic movements explored by stimulation over the cortex.

1. When seated human subjects abducted one arm rapidly in response to a tone there was successively a burst of electromyographic (EMG) activity in the deltoid and latissimus dorsi muscles followed by another burst in the deltoid muscle. This triphasic pattern is typical of a ballistic 'focal movement'. There were also bursts of EMG activity in the contralateral latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and abdominal muscles, which were assumed to be 'associated postural adjustments'. The same bilateral pattern of muscle activity occurred in a deafferented subject. 2. When subjects abducted the left arm rapidly, magnetic stimulation over the left motor cortex delayed the onset of the EMG burst in the right latissimus dorsi relative to the initial burst in the left deltoid. When subjects abducted the right arm rapidly, magnetic stimulation over the left motor cortex delayed the onset of the initial EMG burst in the right deltoid relative to the burst in the left latissimus. In each case, the delay of an EMG burst was greatest (about 80 ms) when the stimulus was given just before the burst was expected to occur. The inhibition of voluntary movements by transcranial stimulation was not associated with a reduction in the excitability of spinal motoneurons. 3. We conclude that focal ballistic movements and their associated postural adjustments are generated in exactly the same way. We postulate that these movements are preprogrammed, held in a memory until the 'go' signal and then released through both motor cortices to spinal motoneurons.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Differential effects of voluntary and involuntary activation on contractile characteristics of two human muscles.

To compare the maximal rate of rise of torque (MRRT) of quadriceps femoris and adductor pollicis during voluntary and involuntary contractions, subjects performed voluntary isometric contractions as rapidly as possible over the full range of force-producing capacity. Involuntary contractions were evoked with single shocks and with trains of 10 pulses at 100 Hz at increasing voltages applied directly to the femoral and ulnar nerves. There were linear relationships between MRRT and absolute torque in both muscles during involuntary and voluntary contractions. At the same absolute torque, quadriceps femoris had a higher MRRT than adductor pollicis when both were voluntarily activated (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in MRRT between these muscles during stimulated contractions. Compared with involuntary tetanic contractions, MRRT during voluntary contractions was the same in quadriceps femoris and was less in adductor pollicis (P < 0.05). These observations suggest that in activating some muscles, such as adductor pollicis, the central nervous system may adopt the strategy of a more gradual excitation to make the contractions more task appropriate.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Behavior of coactive muscles during fatigue.

Coactivation is antagonist muscle activity that occurs during voluntary contraction. Recently, we showed that the extent of coactivity in the knee flexors decreases after a short period of resistance training of the knee extensors (8). The purpose of the present experiment was to study the time course of coactivation in the knee flexors during fatigue of the knee extensors. Ten male subjects performed repeated submaximal static leg extensions in a low-intensity long-duration and a high-intensity short-duration fatigue protocol until they could no longer produce the required force [time limit of endurance (Tlim)]. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), submaximal force, and surface electromyographic (EMG) activity were measured periodically. Vastus lateralis EMG increased progressively during fatigue of the extensor muscles (P < 0.05), resulting in a 38% change from control at Tlim. Biceps femoris EMG, which was our measure of coactivation, also increased by approximately 60% at Tlim in each protocol (P < 0.05). These observations lead us to conclude that a small but significant force loss during repeated static contractions to Tlim is due to an increase in antagonist activity. Moreover, the close correlation between the antagonist and agonist EMG supports the notion of a "common drive" to both motoneuron pools (10).

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Adaptations in coactivation after isometric resistance training.

Twenty sedentary male university students were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group trained the knee extensors of one leg by producing 30 isometric extension maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) per day, three times per week for 8 wk. After 8 wk of training, extensor MVC in the trained leg increased 32.8% (P less than 0.05), but there was no change in vastus lateralis maximal integrated electromyographic activity (IEMGmax). The most important finding was that the degree of hamstring coactivation during extension MVC decreased by approximately 20% (P less than 0.05) after the 1st wk of training. Less pronounced adaptations occurred in the untrained leg: extension MVC force increased 16.2% (P less than 0.05), hamstring coactivity decreased 13% (P less than 0.05) after 2 wk of training, and vastus lateralis IEMGmax was unchanged. The same measures in legs of the control group were not changed during the study. There were no changes in flexion MVC, biceps femoris IEMGmax, or the degree of quadriceps coactivity during flexion MVC in either leg of the control or experimental group. A reduction in hamstring coactivity in the trained and untrained legs indicates that these muscles provide less opposing force to the contracting quadriceps. We conclude that this small but significant decrease in hamstring coactivation that occurs during the early stages of training is a nonhypertrophic adaptation of the neuromuscular system in response to static resistance training of this type.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1992

Relative changes in maximal force, EMG, and muscle cross-sectional area after isometric training.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether training-induced increases in maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) can be completely accounted for by increases in muscle cross-sectional area. Fifteen female university students were randomly divided into a control (N = 7) and an experimental (N = 8) group. The experimental group underwent 8 wk of isometric resistance training of the knee extensors of one leg; the other leg was the untrained control. Training consisted of 30 MVC.d-1 x 3 d.wk-1 x 8 wk. Extensor cross-sectional area (CSA), assessed by computerized tomographic (CT) scanning of a cross-sectional slice at mid-thigh, was used as a measure of muscle hypertrophy. After 8 wk of training, MVC increased by 28% (P < 0.05), CSA increased by 14.6% (P < 0.05), and the amplitude of the electromyogram at MVC (EMGmax) was unchanged in the trained leg of the experimental subjects. The same measures in the untrained legs of the experimental subjects and in both legs of the control subjects were not changed after training. Although there was an apparent discrepancy between the increase in MCV (28%) and CSA (14.6%), the ratio between the two, the specific tension (N.cm-2), was not significantly different after training. As a result of these findings, we conclude that in these subjects there is no evidence of nonhypertrophic adaptations to resistance training of this type and magnitude, and that the increase in force-generating capacity of the muscle is due to the synthesis of additional contractile proteins.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1991

Rate of fatigue during repeated submaximal contractions of human quadriceps muscle.

Our purpose was to determine the effect of eight different combinations of contraction intensity, duration, and rest on the rate of fatigue in vastus lateralis muscle. A single combination consisted of contractions at 30 or 70% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), held for 3 or 7 s with 3- or 7-s rest intervals. Contractions were repeated until the subject could not hold the force for the requisite duration. At regular intervals during each experiment, a brief MVC, a single twitch, and the response to eight stimulation pulses at 50 Hz were elicited. The rate of fatigue was the rate of decline of MVC calculated from regression analysis. Mean rate of fatigue (n = 8) ranged from 0.3 to 25% MVC/min and was closely related (r = 0.98) to the product of the relative force and the duty cycle. Force from 50 Hz stimulation fell linearly and in parallel with MVC. Twitch force was first potentiated and then fell twice as fast as 50 Hz stimulation and MVC (p less than 0.05). Differentiated twitch contraction and relaxation rates were higher at potentiation and lower at the limit of endurance, compared with control values (p less than 0.05). The maximal electromyogram decreased 25% and the submaximal EMG increased to maximal by the end of the protocol, indicating that the entire motor unit pool had been recruited. The close relation between rate of fatigue and the force x time product probably reflects the off-setting interaction of contraction amplitude, duration, and rest interval. This occurs despite the changes in twitch characteristics and the apparent recruitment of fast fatiguing motor units.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Vibratory massage and short-term recovery from muscular fatigue.

Percussive vibratory massage has long been purported to offset the negative effects of muscular exercise. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of this type of massage on recovery from repeated submaximal contractions. Twelve male subjects performed repeated, static contractions of the quadriceps at 70% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), with periodic MVCs performed after every fourth one. This pattern continued until the subject could no longer produce the required 70% (Tlim). The entire procedure was repeated three times with rest periods between each series. The rate of fatigue (ROF) was calculated from a regression line fit to the decline of the periodic MVCs. We studied the ROF during static exercise alone, as well as during static exercise following cycling for 30 min at 75% VO2max. In the control conditions, the subjects rested for 5 min between each of the three series of contractions. In the experimental conditions the subjects received 4 min of percussive vibratory massage and 1 min of rest. The results showed that there was no significant difference in ROF in either static or following dynamic exercise between the control and vibrated conditions. Although ROF was the same in all experimental conditions. Tlim occurred sooner following dynamic exercise because the initial MVC was significantly lower than static (p less than .008). We have therefore concluded that short-term recovery from intense muscular activity is not augmented by percussive vibratory massage.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Relative effects of glycogen depletion and previous exercise on muscle force and endurance capacity.

Endurance capacity of human vastus lateralis muscles was observed 24 h after hard exercise followed by either a carbohydrate-restricted or a carbohydrate-loaded diet (depletion and repletion conditions). In a control condition the subjects did no previous exercise and ate their normal diet. Each of these conditions was followed by an experimental protocol in which the five male subjects made a series of alternating 25-s static contractions of each leg at 50% maximal voluntary contraction until one leg failed to achieve the required force (Tlim). Glycogen concentration before the experimental protocol in both legs was significantly lower in the depletion than in the repletion condition. Muscle lactate and creatine phosphate concentrations were within normal limits before the static contractions. The number of contractions the repleted (12.7 +/- 2.2) and depleted (10.3 +/- 1.5) legs could sustain before Tlim were not different from each other, but both were 35% (P less than 0.05) fewer than the control (17.6 +/- 3.0). Surface electromyogram (EMG) amplitude was higher in depleted than in repleted or control muscles. At Tlim, EMG amplitude was maximal, creatine phosphate was 50-70% depleted, and lactate increased fourfold. Average glycogen utilization per contraction in both the repletion and depletion conditions was 5.8 mmol/kg dry wt, but postexercise lactate concentrations were lower in depleted (14.4 +/- 3.6 mmol/kg dry wt) than in repleted (43.2 +/- 7.4) muscles. The EMG frequency distribution shifted downward in all conditions during the experimental protocol and was independent of muscle lactate concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Neuromuscular adaptations to training.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether there is a central adaptation to resistance overload. The right adductor pollicis muscle of each subject was trained with either voluntary (n = 9) or electrically stimulated contractions (n = 7), the contralateral muscle acted as an internal control, and seven other subjects acted as a control group. Training was the same in both groups: 15 contractions at 80% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), 3 days/wk for 5 wk. Trained muscles in both groups increased MVC by approximately 15% (voluntary, P less than 0.01; stimulated, P less than 0.05). There was a small (9.5%) but significant (P less than 0.05) increase in MVC of the untrained muscles in the voluntary group. MVC did not change in the control group. Maximal electromyogram (EMG) was highly reproducible pre-to posttraining in the control group (r = 0.92, slope = 0.995) and did not change pre- to posttraining in the trained groups. Sensory adaptation to training caused a reduction in force sensation in the stimulated group (P less than 0.05) but not in the voluntary group. Because there was a small increase in MVC of the untrained muscle of the voluntary group (9.5%, P less than 0.05) but not in the stimulated group, it is possible that there is a central motor adaptation, but it is not manifested in increased neural drive (EMG). Moreover, this central adaptation may be responsible for the decrease in force sensation that follows training.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1986

Fatigue of submaximal static contractions.

Experiments are described which suggest that the loss of force generating capacity seen during fatigue from intermittent, submaximal voluntary contractions of the quadriceps muscle cannot be explained by any of the usual factors thought to be responsible for fatigue. During the first 30 min of intermittent contractions at 30% MVC the force generated periodically by a brief test train of 50 Hz stimulation and by brief maximal voluntary contractions both declined by 50%. Yet no significant changes were seen in the muscle lactate, ATP or phosphocreatine. Glycogen depletion was confined only to the type I and type IIA fibres, with less than 10% totally depleted. The depletion patterns indicated that the type IIAB and type IIB motor units were not recruited during the first 30 min. The central nervous system appeared to remain capable of generating full muscle activation since the force from maximal voluntary efforts declined in parallel with that from 50 Hz stimulation. We suggest that, in this type of fatigue, the loss of force may be largely due to impaired excitation/contraction coupling. This possibility is supported by the disproportionate depression of the twitches recorded between contractions compared with that from 50 Hz stimulation (low frequency fatigue). The single unit EMG recordings suggest that, in sustained and repeated submaximal contractions, muscle contractile failure is compensated by recruitment of additional motor units rather than by rate coding of those already active. During intermittent contractions large increases in the surface EMG were associated with only modest increases in firing rates. In sustained contractions when the EMG was held constant the discharge rates declined in parallel with the force. In constant force contractions involving about 35% muscle contractile failure no changes in discharge rates were seen despite substantial increases in EMG.

Central Nervous System↗
PubMed1986

Effect of vibration on force sensation in fatigued muscle.

Nine subjects did repeated maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of the right knee extensors to induce fatigue. At regular intervals during this process, they matched the force of a 50% MVC in the fatiguing right muscle with a contraction of the unfatigued left muscle that felt like the same force. Perturbations in force sensation were achieved by applying high-frequency vibration (160 Hz) to the patellar tendon of the fatigued muscle during one of a pair of 50% MVCs. The neural drive to the muscle was monitored from the surface electromyogram. Cycles of 10 fatiguing contractions followed by 2 matching contractions were repeated until the subjects could no longer produce 50% of the initial MVC or until they chose to stop. On the average, MVC force fell to 68% of its initial value by the end of 50 fatiguing contractions; almost all of the force loss occurred after completing the first 20 contractions. Maximal electromyograms declined proportionally, and percutaneous shocks delivered during fatiguing contractions did not produce a measurable twitch. This indicated that there was no central fatigue and that force loss was due to failure of the contractile apparatus. In the non-vibrated trials, force sensation increased as a mirror image of force loss. Vibration increased force sensation in the fresh muscle but the effect of vibration disappeared in fatiguing contractions. These data suggest that the sensory analog of muscular fatigue is not necessarily a consequence of alterations in peripheral receptors but may also reside in the central nervous system.

Action Potentials↗