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Myo-mechanical Analysis of Isolated Skeletal Muscle
Published on: February 22, 2011
Resting mechanomyography before and after resistance exercise.
William P S McKay1, Philip D Chilibeck, Brian L F Daku
1Department of Anesthesia, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. william.mckay@saskatoonhealthregion.ca
European Journal of Applied Physiology
|October 3, 2007
Summary
Resistance exercise increases resting muscle activity, measured by mechanomyography (MMG). This elevated MMG, along with oxygen consumption (VO2), decays exponentially after exercise, suggesting a link between muscle activity and post-exercise oxygen use.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is elevated oxygen use after exercise.
- Biochemical processes alone do not fully explain EPOC.
- Resting mechanomyographic (MMG) activity increases after aerobic exercise and correlates with EPOC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of resistance exercise on resting MMG.
- To determine if changes in resting MMG after resistance exercise relate to oxygen consumption (VO2).
Main Methods:
- Ten young males performed 30 minutes of resistance exercise (leg press, leg extension).
- Oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured via indirect calorimetry.
- Mechanomyography (MMG) and electromyography (EMG) were recorded from the rectus femoris before and for 5.5 hours after exercise.
Main Results:
- Both MMG and EMG activity were significantly elevated post-resistance exercise.
- Resting MMG and VO2 showed similar exponential decay rates after exercise (time constants of ~7.5 min and ~7.2 min, respectively).
Conclusions:
- Resting muscle exhibits increased mechanical activity following resistance exercise.
- This elevated muscle activity may contribute to the increased oxygen consumption observed after resistance exercise.
