Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Muscle Recovery and Fatigue01:24

Muscle Recovery and Fatigue

Muscle fatigue refers to the decline in a muscle's ability to maintain the force of contraction after prolonged activity. It primarily stems from changes within muscle fibers. Even before experiencing muscle fatigue, one may feel tired and have the urge to stop the activity. This response, known as central fatigue, occurs due to changes in the central nervous system, namely the brain and spinal cord. While there is no single mechanism that induces fatigue, it may serve as a protective response...
Fatigue01:21

Fatigue

Fatigue occurs when materials rupture under repeated or fluctuating loads, even at stress levels far below their static breaking strength. It typically results in brittle failure, even for ductile materials. It is a critical consideration in designing machines and structural components subjected to repetitive or varying loads. The nature of these loadings can range from fluctuating loads like unbalanced pump impellers causing vibrations to repeatedly bending a thin steel rod wire back and forth...
Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction01:25

Energy Supply for Muscle Contraction

Skeletal muscle fibers have the unique ability to switch between rest and contraction states, using different sources of ATP for energy. The contraction cycle and Ca2+ transport back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum for relaxation require significant ATP. However, the ATP reserves in muscle fibers are limited and can only sustain contractions for a few seconds. Additional ATP production becomes necessary for prolonged contractions. As a result, muscle fibers generate ATP through various sources,...
Exercise and Muscle Performance01:27

Exercise and Muscle Performance

Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
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...
Exercise Stress Test01:26

Exercise Stress Test

Introduction
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes
Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Exercise as a regulator of glymphatic function.

Trends in neurosciences·2026
Same author

Response to "Letter to the Editor: On resistance exercise intensity terminology in the ACSM-ESSA expert statement".

Journal of science and medicine in sport·2026
Same author

Response to "Is exercise intensity only a part of exercise, or all the exercise?"

Journal of science and medicine in sport·2026
Same author

Muscle movement and metabolism: exercise and skeletal muscle as mediators of health-a report from the 26th Annual Harvard Nutrition Obesity Symposium, 2025.

The American journal of clinical nutrition·2026
Same author

Exercise intensity modulates the human plasma secretome and interorgan communication.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

The Influence of Sleep Restriction and High-Intensity Interval Exercise on Plasma and Skeletal Muscle Inflammatory Markers in Young Healthy Males.

Medicine and science in sports and exercise·2025
Same journal

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Focal Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Is Associated With Modulation of Autophagy-Ferroptosis Involving the STAT3/HIF-1α Signalling Pathway.

Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology·2026
Same journal

Relationship Between Long-Term Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter and the Intrinsic Capacity of Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on CHARLS.

Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology·2026
Same journal

Dapagliflozin Improves Mitochondrial Function to Reduce the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in a High-Glucose Environment by Activating the AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3 Signalling Pathway.

Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology·2026
Same journal

Hypertension-Mediated Organ Damage: Pathophysiological Mechanisms, Clinical Consequences, and Implications for Early Risk Stratification.

Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology·2026
Same journal

Saikosaponin D Alleviates Atherosclerosis by Regulating Autophagy and Senescence of VSMCs via Inhibiting EPHB2.

Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology·2026
Same journal

Noninvasively Evaluating the Cerebral Blood Flow Changes After Surgery in Adult Moyamoya Patients Using 3D Pulsed Arterial Spin Labelling MRI.

Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Determining The Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold Following a Single Visit Exercise Test
06:00

Determining The Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold Following a Single Visit Exercise Test

Published on: July 27, 2015

Fatigue during intermittent-sprint exercise.

David J Bishop1

  • 1Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living, School of Sport and Exercise Science, Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. David.Bishop@vu.edu.au

Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology
|July 7, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Muscle fatigue during intense exercise is primarily caused by peripheral factors within the muscle itself, not by reduced neural drive. This reversible decline in force production stems from energy supply limits and metabolic by-product accumulation.

More Related Videos

Measuring the Motor Aspect of Cancer-Related Fatigue using a Handheld Dynamometer
07:22

Measuring the Motor Aspect of Cancer-Related Fatigue using a Handheld Dynamometer

Published on: February 20, 2020

A Swimming-Induced Zebrafish Exercise Apparatus for Versatile Training Approaches
10:34

A Swimming-Induced Zebrafish Exercise Apparatus for Versatile Training Approaches

Published on: October 18, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Determining The Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold Following a Single Visit Exercise Test
06:00

Determining The Electromyographic Fatigue Threshold Following a Single Visit Exercise Test

Published on: July 27, 2015

Measuring the Motor Aspect of Cancer-Related Fatigue using a Handheld Dynamometer
07:22

Measuring the Motor Aspect of Cancer-Related Fatigue using a Handheld Dynamometer

Published on: February 20, 2020

A Swimming-Induced Zebrafish Exercise Apparatus for Versatile Training Approaches
10:34

A Swimming-Induced Zebrafish Exercise Apparatus for Versatile Training Approaches

Published on: October 18, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Muscle Physiology
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Muscle fatigue is a reversible reduction in maximal force or power output during exercise.
  • The mechanisms of fatigue can vary depending on the type of muscular contraction.
  • Intermittent-sprint exercise presents a unique challenge for understanding fatigue.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the manifestation of fatigue during whole-body, intermittent-sprint exercise.
  • To identify the underlying muscular and neural mechanisms contributing to this type of fatigue.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed changes in surface electromyogram (EMG) to evaluate neural drive.
  • Utilized percutaneous motor nerve stimulation and trans-cranial magnetic stimulation to estimate voluntary muscle activation.
  • Analyzed muscle-level factors including energy supply and metabolic by-product accumulation.

Main Results:

  • Minimal changes were observed in EMG and voluntary muscle activation, indicating preserved neural drive.
  • The reduction in power output significantly exceeded the decrease in EMG, suggesting peripheral fatigue.
  • Key peripheral factors identified include limitations in phosphocreatine hydrolysis, reliance on anaerobic glycolysis and oxidative metabolism, and accumulation of metabolic by-products like hydrogen ions.

Conclusions:

  • Peripheral mechanisms are the primary drivers of fatigue during intermittent-sprint exercise.
  • Muscle-level impairments in energy metabolism and accumulation of metabolic by-products are critical factors.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for optimizing training and performance in sports involving intermittent sprints.