Neuromuscular characteristics in trained vs. sedentary male adults with intellectual disability

This study aimed to explore muscle strength production and its underlying neuromuscular characteristics in sedentary and trained individuals with intellectual disability (ID) compared with healthy sedentary individuals.

Three adult groups (age: 25.07 ± 0.70) consisting of sedentary individuals with ID (IDSG), trained individuals with ID (IDTG) and a control group (CONT) participated in the present study. Peak torque (PT) during maximal voluntary isometric contraction, voluntary activation level (VAL), surface electromyography (sEMG) recordings, electrophysiological (M_max ) and potentiated twitch torque (PTT responses) of the knee extensor muscles and thigh muscle volume were assessed.

Compared with CONT and IDTG, respectively, IDSG presented significantly lower PT (-48% and -42%), VAL (-24% and -9%), sEMG (-49% and -29%), M_max (-41% and -39%) and PTT (-32% and -28%) values. These deficits were reduced between IDTG compared with CONT (i.e. PT: -10%; VAL: -16%; and sEMG: -28%) or did not differ anymore (PTT and M_max ). Normalising PT to thigh muscle volume and/or computing theoretical PT value overwhelm strength production differences between IDTG and CONT. Training background influences the outcomes with IDTG exhibiting greater PT, VAL, sEMG, M_max and PTT than IDSG.

Strength production deficit in IDSG was related to both muscular and neural characteristics compared with healthy controls whereas this deficit mainly arises from neural characteristics for IDTG.