EMG analysis of human inspiratory muscle resistance to fatigue during exercise

The aim of this study was to characterize the pattern of inspiratory muscle fatigue and to assess the resistance to fatigue of the diaphragm (D), parasternal (PS), sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and scalene (SC) muscles. Nine healthy, untrained male subjects participated in this study. Electromyographic activity (EMG) of D, PS, SCM, and SC was recorded during an incremental cycling test to exhaustion (workload of 1.0 W/kg with 0.5 W/kg increments every 5 min). The before-to-after exercise measurements of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and EMG power spectrum changes were performed. The maximal inspiratory pressure declined about 8.1 % after exercise compared with that in the control condition (124.3 ± 8.5 vs. 114.2 ± 8.9 cmH2O) (P > 0.05), whereas the peak magnitude of integrated electrical activity of D, PS, SCM, and SC during the post-exercise Müller maneuver was significantly greater in all subjects than that pre-exercise. The extent of inspiratory muscles fatigue was evaluated by analysis of a shift in centroid frequency (fc) of EMG power spectrum. Exercise-induced D fatigue was present in three subjects and PS fatigue was another in two; whereas both D and PC fatigue were observed in four subjects. All subjects demonstrated a significant reduction in fc of SCM and SC. Results indicate that early signs of the fatiguing process might be detected in the D, PS, SCM, and SC muscles during exercise to exhaustion. Fatigue of either D or PS muscles develops selectively or together during exhaustive exercise, depending on the recruitment pattern of respiratory muscles. Accessory inspiratory muscles of the neck are less resistant to fatigue compared with the D and PS muscles.