Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
Muscle Velocity Recovery Cycles to Examine Muscle Membrane Properties
Published on: February 19, 2020
Validity of multi-fiber muscle velocity recovery cycles recorded at a single site using submaximal stimuli
Hugh Bostock1, S Veronica Tan, Delphine Boërio
1Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK. h.bostock@ucl.ac.uk
Objective:
To examine the validity of multi-fiber muscle velocity recovery cycles (VRCs) recorded by direct muscle stimulation with submaximal stimuli.
Methods:
VRCs were recorded from tibialis anterior muscle in normal volunteers with 1, 2 and 5 conditioning stimuli. Recordings were made with 6 different amplitudes of conditioning stimuli. Recordings were also made with two recording electrodes, at least 15mm apart.
Results:
Muscle VRCs in 6 subjects were not significantly different for conditioning stimuli between 80% and 150% of test stimulus amplitude. When recorded at two sites in 9 subjects, VRCs were similar when estimated over the shorter distance, the longer distance, and from the conduction time between the two electrodes.
Conclusions:
Multi-fiber muscle VRCs can be reliably recorded with a single recording electrode and with equal amplitude conditioning and test stimuli.
Significance:
Clinical neurophysiologists can be assured that this new method of testing muscle membrane properties provides valid and robust measurements on normal muscles.
