Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Determining The Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold Following a Single Visit Exercise Test
Published on: July 27, 2015
Effects of resistive load on performance and surface EMG activity during repeated cycling sprints on a non-isokinetic
R Matsuura1, T Arimitsu, T Yunoki
1Department of Sports Science, Faculty of Sports Science, Kyushu Kyoritsu University, 1-8 Jiyugaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu 807-8585, Japan. matsuura@kyukyo-u.ac.jp
Objectives:
To determine the effects of resistive load on performance and surface electromyogram (SEMG) activity during repeated cycling sprints (RCS) on a non-isokinetic cycle ergometer.
Methods:
Participants performed two RCS tests (ten 10-second cycling sprints) interspersed with both 30- and 360-second recovery periods under light (RCS(L)) and heavy load conditions (RCS(H)) in a random counterbalanced order. Recovery periods of 360 seconds were set before the fifth and ninth sprints.
Results:
In the 9th and 10th sprints, the values of peak power output divided by body mass were significantly higher in RCS(H) than in RCS(L). Changes in blood lactate concentration were not different between the two conditions. In RCS(L), the root mean square calculated from the SEMG was significantly lower in the ninth sprint than in the first sprint, but there were no differences between the root mean square in the first sprint and that in the ninth sprint in RCS(H).
Conclusions:
During RCS on a non-isokinetic cycle ergometer, performance and SEMG activity are influenced by resistive load. It is thought that regulation of skeletal muscle recruitment by the central nervous system is associated with fatigue during RCS with a light resistive load.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Design Example: Frog Muscle Response
When the switch connecting the RL circuit is closed, a brief muscle contraction is observed. This is because, at a steady state, the inductor acts like a short circuit,...
Muscle Stimulation Frequency
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
