Neuromuscular drive and force production are not altered during bilateral contractions

Several investigators have studied the deficit in maximal voluntary force that is said to occur when bilateral muscle groups contract simultaneously. A true bilateral deficit (BLD) would suggest a significant limitation of neuromuscular control; however, some of the data from studies in the literature are equivocal. Our purpose was to determine whether there is a BLD in the knee extensors of untrained young male subjects during isometric contractions and whether this deficit is associated with a decreased activation of the quadriceps, increased activation of the antagonist muscle, or an alteration in motor unit firing rates. Twenty subjects performed unilateral (UL) and bilateral (BL) isometric knee extensions at 25, 50, 75, and 100% maximal voluntary contraction. Total UL and BL force (delta 3%) and maximal rate of force generation (delta 2.5%) were not significantly different. Total UL and BL maximal vastus lateralis electromyographic activity (EMG; 2.7 +/- 0.28 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.24 mV) and coactivation (0.17 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.20 +/- 0.02 mV) were also not different. Similarly, the ratio of force to EMG during submaximal UL and BL contractions was not different. Analysis of force production by each leg in UL and BL conditions showed no differences in force, rate of force generation, EMG, motor unit firing rates, and coactivation. Finally, assessment of quadriceps activity with the twitch interpolation technique indicated no differences in the degree of voluntary muscle activation (UL: 93.6 +/- 2.51 Hz, BL: 90.1 +/- 2.43 Hz). These results provide no evidence of a significant limitation in neuromuscular control between BL and UL isometric contractions of the knee extensor muscles in young male subjects.