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Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
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Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
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When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
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Does postactivation potentiation (PAP) increase voluntary performance?

Haiko Bruno Zimmermann1, Brian R MacIntosh2, Juliano Dal Pupo1

  • 1Biomechanics Laboratory, Sports Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC 88040900, Brazil.

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquee, Nutrition Et Metabolisme
|September 27, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Postactivation potentiation (PAP) enhances electrically evoked twitch torque. However, voluntary performance enhancement (PAPE) may occur independently of PAP, suggesting different underlying mechanisms for improved voluntary exercise performance.

Keywords:
athlete trainingconditioning contractioncontractioncontraction de conditionnemententraînement des athlètesfonction des muscles squelettiquesperformance sportiveskeletal muscle functionsports performancesprint runningsprint à la coursetwitch

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Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Muscle Physiology
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Postactivation potentiation (PAP) is a transient increase in twitch torque after voluntary contraction, often attributed to myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation.
  • Voluntary postactivation performance enhancement (PAPE) is frequently linked to PAP, but direct evidence confirming this relationship is often lacking.
  • The precise mechanisms driving PAPE remain incompletely understood, with assumptions often made about the role of PAP.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review the relationship between postactivation potentiation (PAP) and voluntary postactivation performance enhancement (PAPE).
  • To determine if improvements in voluntary performance after a conditioning contraction are consistently associated with the PAP phenomenon.
  • To investigate whether the established mechanisms of PAP explain observed PAPE.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies measuring both evoked twitch torque (PAP) and voluntary performance (PAPE) after a conditioning contraction (CC).
  • Analysis of studies that confirmed the presence of PAP via evoked response concurrently with PAPE measurement.
  • Synthesis of findings to evaluate the correlation and causality between PAP and PAPE.

Main Results:

  • PAPE was observed in some studies when PAP reached very high levels.
  • Conversely, PAPE was also reported in the absence of significant PAP.
  • Unchanged or diminished voluntary performance was sometimes observed even when PAP was present, indicating a dissociation between the two phenomena.

Conclusions:

  • The mechanisms underlying PAPE appear distinct from those of PAP.
  • The presence of PAP does not guarantee an improvement in voluntary performance.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms responsible for PAPE, moving beyond the assumption of PAP involvement.