The effect of knee flexor and extensor fatigue on shock absorption during cutting movements after a jump landing

Sporting situations include instances of continuous and/or integrated movements. However, the effect of fatigue on the performance of these movements remains unclear.

To investigate the effect of knee flexor and extensor fatigue on the shock absorption strategy of the lower limb during cutting movements performed after jump landings.

Twenty-four healthy participants performed cutting movements following jump landings from two heights - 30cm and 40cm - and under three levels of lower limb fatigue: pre-fatigue (100% peak knee extension torque), and post-fatigue 50% (post-50%) and 30% (post-30%) peak knee extension torque. Fatigue was induced by repeated isokinetic flexion/extension of the knee (60°/s).

Compared to the pre-fatigue condition, power and work at the knee joint decreased under both post-50% and post-30% conditions (P<0.001), while the work performed by the ankle (P<0.001) increased significantly. An increase in height from 30cm to 40cm was associated with an increase in the range of motion of the ankle (P<0.001) and knee (P=0.022), peak vertical ground reaction force (P<0.001), rate of loading (P<0.001), knee stiffness (P=0.026) and peak power of the knee (P<0.001), as well as the work performed by the knee (P<0.001) and hip (P<0.001) joints.

Under substantial muscle fatigue the proportion of shock absorption contributed by the knee for cutting movements performed after jump landings from a height of 40cm decreased; there was an adaptive increase in the contribution by the ankle.