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14:02
Ex Vivo Assessment of Contractility, Fatigability and Alternans in Isolated Skeletal Muscles
Published on: November 1, 2012
Muscle contractile characteristics: relationship to high-intensity exercise
Martyn G Morris1, Helen Dawes, Ken Howells
1Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, UK. mgmorris@brookes.ac.uk
European Journal of Applied Physiology
|May 15, 2010
Summary
Muscle contractile properties measured by electrical stimulation correlate with high-intensity exercise performance. This suggests muscle characteristics are key for anaerobic capacity and trainability.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Muscle Physiology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Muscle contractile characteristics are crucial for athletic performance.
- Understanding these characteristics can inform training strategies.
- Percutaneous electrical stimulation offers a method to assess in vivo muscle function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between muscle contractile properties and high-intensity exercise performance.
- To determine if electrical stimulation can predict fatigue resistance during anaerobic exercise.
- To explore the role of muscle contraction characteristics in exercise capacity.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen participants underwent percutaneous electrical stimulation to measure rate of torque development (RTD), rate of relaxation, fatigue rate, and fatigue resistance.
- Participants also completed a Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) to assess peak power, mean power, fatigue index, and fatigue rate.
- Statistical analyses were performed to correlate muscle stimulation measures with WAnT outcomes.
Main Results:
- Muscle fatigue index significantly correlated with the WAnT fatigue index and fatigue rate (p < 0.01).
- The change in rate of torque development (%DeltaRTD) during stimulation was significantly related to the WAnT fatigue rate.
- Greater reductions in RTD corresponded to higher fatigue rates during the WAnT and more fatigue during electrical stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Muscle contractile characteristics, assessed via electrical stimulation, are related to performance in high-intensity anaerobic exercise.
- These findings highlight the importance of intrinsic muscle properties for exercise performance and trainability.
- Electrical stimulation protocols can serve as a valuable tool for assessing muscle function in relation to performance.
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