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Neural adaptations with chronic physical activity

R M Enoka1

  • 1Department of Kinesiology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0354, USA.

Journal of Biomechanics
|May 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
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Chronic activity significantly alters muscular and nervous systems. Neural drive adaptations vary with training, impacting motor neuron function and muscle activation patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Muscle Adaptation

Background:

  • Chronic activity patterns like strength training, immobilization, and aging induce significant muscular and nervous system adaptations.
  • This review examines mechanisms of neural drive to muscle, focusing on maximality, specificity, and patterns.

Discussion:

  • Maximality studies reveal limitations in voluntary muscle activation, with motor neuron discharge rates affected by immobilization and strength training.
  • Specificity data show strength gains from imagined contractions, velocity-specific training effects, contralateral muscle influence, and distinct activation schemes for eccentric contractions.
  • Neural drive pattern analysis indicates training-influenced coactivation, altered motor-unit synchronization, variable reflex potentiation, and training-related changes in H-reflex modulation and motor neuron excitability.

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Key Insights:

  • Voluntary muscle activation is not maximal and varies by muscle, task, and training.
  • Strength training enhances neural drive, impacting untrained contralateral muscles and potentially overcoming bilateral deficits.
  • Motor neuron properties, including discharge rates and excitability, are plastic and adapt to chronic activity and inactivity.

Outlook:

  • Further research is needed to understand the symmetry of adaptations to increased and decreased physical activity.
  • Investigating the precise mechanisms of motor neuron bistability and its modulation by exercise remains crucial.
  • Exploring the long-term implications of altered neural drive patterns on muscle function and performance is essential.