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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Skeletal Muscle Neurovascular Coupling, Oxidative Capacity, and Microvascular Function with 'One Stop Shop' Near-infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: February 20, 2018
Relationship between muscle oxygenation and electromyography activity during sustained isometric contraction
Eiji Yamada1, Takashi Kusaka, Nobuo Arima
1Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University Hospital, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, Japan.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between electromyography (EMG) spectrum changes and muscle oxygenation measured by near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS). Each subject performed sustained isometric knee extension at 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction load for 1 min. Surface EMG and TRS were simultaneously recorded from the right vastus lateralis muscle. Mean power frequency (MPF) of the power spectrum was calculated every 5 s during isometric contraction using fast Fourier transform, and decrease in the slope of MPF for 1 min was calculated using the least squares method. The maximal changes in oxygenated haemoglobin and myoglobin (Oxy Hb/Mb) and in deoxygenated haemoglobin and myoglobin (Deoxy Hb/Mb) from pre-contraction values of 1 min were calculated. There were significant relationships between the decrease in the slope of MPF and the maximal changes in Oxy Hb/Mb and Deoxy Hb/Mb (P < 0.05). These findings suggested that changes in Oxy Hb/Mb and Deoxy Hb/Mb indicate muscle fatigue assessed by EMG.
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