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Motor cortical and corticospinal function differ during an isometric squat compared with isometric knee extension.

Callum G Brownstein1, Paul Ansdell1, Jakob Škarabot1

  • 1Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK.

Experimental Physiology
|June 22, 2018
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Summary

Assessing neuroplasticity requires task-specific methods. This study found poor agreement in corticospinal function between isometric squats and knee extensions, highlighting the importance of choosing appropriate testing modalities for resistance training research.

Keywords:
squattask specificitytranscranial magnetic stimulation

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Neuroplasticity, or task-specific changes in neurophysiological function, should be assessed using methods mirroring the intervention.
  • The squat exercise is known to induce central nervous system (CNS) changes, but previous research may have used inappropriate testing methods like isometric knee extension.
  • This discrepancy could confound results when evaluating squat-induced neuroplasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare corticospinal and intracortical activity between isometric squat and isometric knee extension tasks.
  • To determine the agreement between these two testing modalities for assessing neuroplasticity.
  • To emphasize the importance of task specificity in neurophysiological assessments.

Main Methods:

  • Eleven males underwent neurophysiological assessments during both isometric squat (IS) and isometric knee extension (KE) tasks.
  • Tasks were matched for joint angles (hip, knee, ankle).
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (single- and paired-pulse) was used to measure short-interval cortical inhibition (SICI) and corticospinal excitability.

Main Results:

  • No significant group differences were found in SICI or corticospinal excitability between the IS and KE tasks in the vastus lateralis.
  • However, wide limits of agreement and poor-to-moderate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) indicated significant disparities.
  • These findings suggest distinct corticospinal and intracortical activity patterns between the two tasks.

Conclusions:

  • There is poor agreement in corticospinal and intracortical function assessment between isometric squat and isometric knee extension.
  • Task specificity is crucial when evaluating neuroplastic changes in response to resistance training.
  • The choice of testing modality significantly impacts the assessment of neuroplasticity.