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Published on: July 27, 2015
EMG threshold determination in eight lower limb muscles during cycling exercise: a pilot study
1Department of Sport Physiology, UPRES EA 3285, IFR Etienne-Jules Marey, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Mediterranean, Marseille, France. francois_hug@hotmail.com
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|June 13, 2006
Summary
The electromyography (EMG) threshold is a reliable indicator of neuromuscular adjustments in the vastus lateralis muscle during cycling for untrained individuals. However, it is not consistently detected in other lower limb muscles.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Biomechanics
- Neuromuscular Physiology
Background:
- The electromyography (EMG) threshold (EMG (Th)) signifies neuromuscular adjustments during exercise.
- Understanding its occurrence and reliability in different muscles is crucial for exercise science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the presence of the EMG threshold in eight lower limb muscles during incremental cycling.
- To assess the test-retest reproducibility of the EMG threshold in sedentary males.
Main Methods:
- Six sedentary males underwent two incremental cycling tests to exhaustion.
- EMG Root Mean Square (RMS) was measured in vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, semimembranosus, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius lateralis, gastrocnemius medialis, and tibialis anterior.
- The EMG threshold was mathematically identified from the RMS versus workload relationship.
Main Results:
- An EMG threshold was consistently detected in the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle, showing good test-retest reliability (CV: 9.6%).
- Few subjects exhibited an EMG threshold in other muscles, particularly rectus femoris, semimembranosus, and gastrocnemius medialis.
- When present, the EMG threshold occurred at 75-80% of peak power output.
Conclusions:
- EMG threshold determination is a reliable method for assessing neuromuscular adjustments in the vastus lateralis of untrained individuals during cycling.
- This method is not consistently reliable for other lower limb muscles in this population.
