Evaluating Muscle Fatigue With Non-Invasive Approaches: A Review of Methods, Metrics, and Implications

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Muscle fatigue assessment is critical for sports, occupational health, and rehabilitation.
• Diverse methods exist, but a comprehensive overview is needed.
• Understanding fatigue mechanisms informs performance optimization and injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review current muscle fatigue assessment techniques.
• To evaluate the strengths, limitations, and applications of various methods.
• To guide researchers and clinicians in selecting appropriate assessment tools.

Main Methods:

• Review of physiological and functional assessment techniques.
• Inclusion of methods based on questionnaires, biosignals, and robotics.
• Critical evaluation of existing literature and emerging technologies.

Main Results:

• Categorization of assessment methods into physiological and functional.
• Analysis of data from questionnaires, biosignals (e.g., EMG), and robotics.
• Identification of key strengths and limitations for each method.

Conclusions:

• Selecting the right muscle fatigue assessment tool is crucial for accurate interpretation.
• Emerging technologies offer promising advancements in fatigue monitoring.
• Further research is needed to refine and validate novel assessment approaches.