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Published on: July 17, 2020
Central fatigue affects plantar flexor strength after prolonged running.
A Saldanha1, M M Nordlund Ekblom, A Thorstensson
1Biomechanics and Motor Control Laboratory, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Stockholm, Sweden.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|November 22, 2007
Summary
Prolonged running causes central fatigue in plantar flexor muscles. Maximal voluntary contraction strength decreased due to reduced voluntary activation, indicating central fatigue after endurance exercise.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Neuromuscular Physiology
Background:
- Central fatigue contributes to decreased muscle strength during prolonged exercise.
- Understanding central fatigue mechanisms is crucial for optimizing athletic performance and recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate central fatigue in the plantar flexor muscle group after 2 hours of treadmill running.
- To quantify the reduction in maximal voluntary contraction and level of activation.
Main Methods:
- Eight healthy males completed 2 hours of treadmill running at 75% VO(2peak).
- Twitch interpolation technique was used to measure maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) strength, interpolated twitch (IT), and resting twitch (RT) before and after exercise.
- Level of activation (LOA) was calculated as LOA (%) = 100(1-IT/RT).
Main Results:
- Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) strength decreased by 17% (P<0.05) after running.
- Level of activation (LOA) decreased by 19% (P<0.05), indicating reduced neural drive.
- Resting twitch (RT) remained unchanged, suggesting no peripheral fatigue in the plantar flexors.
Conclusions:
- Two hours of running at 75% VO(2peak) induces significant central fatigue in the plantar flexor muscles.
- The reduction in maximal voluntary plantar flexor strength is primarily attributed to central factors, specifically a decreased level of voluntary activation.
- Findings highlight the role of central fatigue in limiting endurance performance.
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