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M wave potentiation during and after muscle activity
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|June 1, 1989
Summary
Muscle compound action potential (M wave) amplitude and area increase with voluntary contractions in thenar and EDB muscles. These changes, particularly in thenar muscles, indicate muscle potentiation during repeated contractions.
Area of Science:
- Neuromuscular Physiology
- Muscle Electrophysiology
Background:
- The M wave, a measure of muscle excitability, is known to change with activity.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for assessing muscle function and fatigue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the changes in M wave amplitude and area during and after voluntary contractions in human thenar and extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) muscles.
- To compare the response between these two distinct muscle groups.
Main Methods:
- Subjects performed successive 3-s voluntary contractions of the thenar and EDB muscles.
- M wave amplitude and area were measured before, during, and after the contraction period.
- Changes were analyzed for both muscles and compared.
Main Results:
- Both M wave amplitude and area increased significantly in both thenar and EDB muscles following voluntary contractions.
- The thenar muscles showed more pronounced increases in M wave amplitude earlier than the EDB muscles.
- M wave area increases were more gradual, with similar maximum changes in both muscles, but different recovery time courses.
Conclusions:
- Repeated voluntary contractions induce potentiation in human muscles, reflected by M wave changes.
- The thenar and EDB muscles exhibit distinct patterns in M wave potentiation and recovery.
- M wave analysis provides insights into neuromuscular adaptation during and after muscle activity.