A peripheral governor regulates muscle contraction

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R. MacIntosh ◽  
M. Reza S. Shahi
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Ryanodine Receptors ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Metabolic Demand ◽  
Membrane Excitability

Active skeletal muscles are capable of keeping the global [adenosine triphosphate (ATP)] reasonably constant during exercise, whether it is mild exercise, activating a few motor units, or all-out exercise using a substantial mass of muscle. This could only be accomplished if there were regulatory processes in place not only to replenish ATP as quickly as possible, but also to modulate the rate of ATP use when that rate threatens to exceed the rate of ATP replenishment, a situation that could lead to metabolic catastrophe. This paper proposes that there is a regulatory process or “peripheral governor” that can modulate activation of muscle to avoid metabolic catastrophe. A peripheral governor, working at the cellular level, should be able to reduce the cellular rate of ATP hydrolysis associated with muscle contraction by attenuating activation. This would necessarily cause something we call peripheral fatigue (i.e., reduced contractile response to a given stimulation). There is no doubt that peripheral fatigue occurs. It has been demonstrated in isolated muscles, in muscles in situ with no central nervous system input, and in intact human subjects performing voluntary exercise with small muscle groups or doing whole-body exercise. The regulation of muscle activation is achieved in at least 3 ways (decreasing membrane excitability, inhibiting Ca2+release through ryanodine receptors, and decreasing the availability of Ca2+in the sarcoplasmic reticulum), making this a highly redundant control system. The peripheral governor attenuates cellular activation to reduce the metabolic demand, thereby preserving ATP and the integrity of the cell.

Electrically-induced quadriceps fatigue in the contralateral leg impairs ipsilateral knee extensors performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Giuseppe Laginestra ◽  
Markus Amann ◽  
Emine Kirmizi ◽  
Gaia Giuriato ◽  
Chiara Barbi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Central Fatigue ◽  
Endurance Performance ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Motor Drive ◽  
Time To Exhaustion ◽  
Crossover Effect ◽  
The Impact

Muscle fatigue induced by voluntary exercise, which requires central motor drive, causes central fatigue that impairs endurance performance of a different, non-fatigued muscle. This study investigated the impact of quadriceps fatigue induced by electrically-induced (no central motor drive) contractions on single-leg knee-extension (KE) performance of the subsequently exercising ipsilateral quadriceps. On two separate occasions, eight males completed constant-load (85% of maximal power-output) KE exercise to exhaustion. In a counterbalanced manner, subjects performed the KE exercise with no pre-existing quadriceps fatigue in the contralateral leg on one day (No-PreF), while on the other day, the same KE exercise was repeated following electrically-induced quadriceps fatigue in the contralateral leg (PreF). Quadriceps fatigue was assessed by evaluating pre- to post-exercise changes in potentiated twitch force (ΔQtw,pot; peripheral-fatigue), and voluntary muscle activation (ΔVA; central-fatigue). As reflected by the 57±11% reduction in electrically-evoked pulse force, the electrically-induced fatigue protocol caused significant knee-extensors fatigue. KE endurance time to exhaustion was shorter during PreF compared to No-PreF (4.6±1.2 vs 7.7±2.4 min; p<0.01). While ΔQtw,pot was significantly larger in No-PreF compared to PreF (-60% vs -52%, p<0.05), ΔVA was greater in PreF (-14% vs -10%, p<0.05). Taken together, electrically-induced quadriceps fatigue in the contralateral leg limits KE endurance performance and the development of peripheral fatigue in the ipsilateral leg. These findings support the hypothesis that the crossover-effect of central fatigue is mainly mediated by group III/IV muscle afferent feedback and suggest that impairments associated with central motor drive may only play a minor role in this phenomenon.

Neuromuscular fatigue

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Ratel ◽  
Craig A Williams
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Voluntary Activation ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Peripheral Fatigue ◽  
Prepubertal Children ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Fatiguing Exercise ◽  
Body Dynamic ◽  
Central Factors

Scientific evidence supports the proposition that prepubertal children fatigue less than adults when performing whole-body dynamic activities like maximal cycling, running bouts, and maximal voluntary isometric/isokinetic muscle contractions. Although the mechanisms underpinning differences in fatigue between children and adults are not all fully understood, there is a consensus that children experience less peripheral fatigue (i.e. muscular fatigue) than their older counterparts. Central factors may also account for the lower fatigability in children. Some studies report a higher reduction of muscle voluntary activation during fatiguing exercise in prepubertal children compared to adults. This could reflect a strategy of the central nervous system aimed at limiting the recruitment of motor units, in order to prevent any extensive peripheral fatigue. Further studies are required to clarify this proposition.

scholarly journals Female pheromones modulate flight muscle activation patterns during preflight warm-up

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 862-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
José G. Crespo ◽  
Neil J. Vickers ◽  
Franz Goller
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Heating Rate ◽  
Heat Production ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Warm Up ◽  
Flight Muscles ◽  
Pheromone Blend

At low ambient temperature Helicoverpa zea male moths engage in warm-up behavior prior to taking flight in response to an attractive female pheromone blend. Male H. zea warm up at a faster rate when sensing the attractive pheromone blend compared with unattractive blends or blank controls ( Crespo et al. 2012 ), but the mechanisms involved in this olfactory modulation of the heating rate during preflight warm-up are unknown. Here, we test three possible mechanisms for increasing heat production: 1) increased rate of muscle contraction; 2) reduction in mechanical movement by increased overlap in activation of the antagonistic flight muscles; and 3) increased activation of motor units. To test which mechanisms play a role, we simultaneously recorded electrical activation patterns of the main flight muscles (dorsolongitudinal and dorsoventral muscles), wing movement, and thoracic temperature in moths exposed to both the attractive pheromone blend and a blank control. Results indicate that the main mechanism responsible for the observed increase in thoracic heating rate with pheromone stimulation is the differential activation of motor units during each muscle contraction cycle in both antagonistic flight muscles. This additional activation lengthens the contracted state within each cycle and thus accounts for the greater heat production. Interestingly, the rate of activation (frequency of contraction cycles) of motor units, which is temperature dependent, did not vary between treatments. This result suggests that the activation rate is determined by a temperature-dependent oscillator, which is not affected by the olfactory stimulus, but activation of motor units is modulated during each cycle.

scholarly journals Is 20 Hz Whole-Body Vibration Training Better for Older Individuals than 40 Hz?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11942
Author(s):  
Shiuan-Yu Tseng ◽  
Chung-Po Ko ◽  
Chin-Yen Tseng ◽  
Wei-Ching Huang ◽  
Chung-Liang Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Whole Body Vibration ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Older Subjects ◽  
40 Hz

In recent years, whole-body vibration (WBV) training has been used as a training method in health promotion. This study attempted to use WBV at three different frequencies (20, 30, and 40 Hz) with subjects from different age groups to analyze the activation of the rectus femoris muscle. The subjects included 47 females and 51 males with an average age of 45.1 ± 15.2 years. Results indicated significant differences in subjects from different age groups at 20 Hz WBV. Muscle contraction was greater in the subjects who were older (F(4,93) = 82.448, p < 0.001). However, at 30 Hz WBV, the difference was not significant (F(4,93) = 2.373, p = 0.058). At 40 Hz WBV, muscle contraction was less in the older subjects than in the younger subjects (F(4,93) = 18.025, p < 0.001). The spectrum analysis also indicated that at 40 Hz there was less muscle activity during WBV in the older subjects than in the younger ones. Therefore, age was found to have a significant effect on muscle activation during WBV at different frequencies. If the training is offered to elderly subjects, their neuromuscular responses to 20 Hz WBV will be more suitable than to 40 Hz WBV.

Head Movements Produced During Whole Body Rotations and Their Sensitivity to Changes in Head Inertia in Squirrel Monkeys

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 2369-2382 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Reynolds ◽  
G. T. Gdowski
Keyword(s):  
Head Movement ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Squirrel Monkeys ◽  
The Body ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Wide Range

The head's inertia produces forces on the neck when the body moves. One collective function of the vestibulocollic and cervicocollic reflexes (VCR and CCR) is thought to be to stabilize the head with respect to the trunk during whole body movements. Little is known as to whether their head-movement kinematics produced by squirrel monkeys during whole body rotations are similar to those of cats and humans. Prior experiments with cats and human subjects have shown that yaw head-movement kinematics are unaffected by changes in the head's inertia when the whole body is rotated. These observations have led to the hypothesis that the combined actions of the VCR and CCR accommodate for changes in the head's inertia. To test this hypothesis in squirrel monkeys, it was imperative to first characterize the behavior of head movements produced during whole body rotation and then investigate their sensitivity to changes in the head's inertia. Our behavioral studies show that squirrel monkeys produce only small head movements with respect to the trunk during whole body rotations over a wide range of stimulus frequencies and velocities (0.5–4.0 Hz; 0–100°/s). Similar head movements were produced when only small additional changes in the head's inertia occurred. Electromyographic recordings from the splenius muscle revealed that an active process was utilized such that increases in muscle activation occurred when the inertia of the head was increased. These results are consistent with prior cat and human studies, suggesting that squirrel monkeys have a similar horizontal VCR and CCR.

Muscular and Postural Synergies of the Human Hand

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 523-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica J. Weiss ◽  
Martha Flanders
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Muscle Synergy ◽  
Human Hand ◽  
Muscle Synergies ◽  
Global Pattern ◽  
Hand Muscles ◽  
Multimodal Function ◽  
Postural Synergies

Because humans have limited ability to independently control the many joints of the hand, a wide variety of hand shapes can be characterized as a weighted combination of just two or three main patterns of covariation in joint rotations, or “postural synergies.” The present study sought to align muscle synergies with these main postural synergies and to describe the form of membership of motor units in these postural/muscle synergies. Seventeen joint angles and the electromyographic (EMG) activities of several hand muscles (both intrinsic and extrinsic muscles) were recorded while human subjects held the hand statically in 52 specific shapes (i.e., shaping the hand around 26 commonly grasped objects or forming the 26 letter shapes of a manual alphabet). Principal-components analysis revealed several patterns of muscle synergy, some of which represented either coactivation of all hand muscles, or reciprocal patterns of activity (above and below average levels) in the intrinsic index finger and thumb muscles or (to a lesser extent) in the extrinsic four-tendoned extensor and flexor muscles. Single- and multiunit activity was generally a multimodal function of whole hand shape. This implies that motor-unit activation does not align with a single synergy; instead, motor units participate in multiple muscle synergies. Thus it appears that the organization of the global pattern of hand muscle activation is highly distributed. This organization mirrors the highly fractured somatotopy of cortical hand representations and may provide an ideal substrate for motor learning and recovery from injury.

scholarly journals Comprehensive assessment of post-prandial protein handling by the application of intrinsically labelled protein in vivo in human subjects

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jorn Trommelen ◽  
Andrew M. Holwerda ◽  
Philippe J. M. Pinckaers ◽  
Luc J. C. van Loon
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Dietary Protein ◽  
Protein Metabolism ◽  
Muscle Protein ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Protein

All human tissues are in a constant state of remodelling, regulated by the balance between tissue protein synthesis and breakdown rates. It has been well-established that protein ingestion stimulates skeletal muscle and whole-body protein synthesis. Stable isotope-labelled amino acid methodologies are commonly applied to assess the various aspects of protein metabolism in vivo in human subjects. However, to achieve a more comprehensive assessment of post-prandial protein handling in vivo in human subjects, intravenous stable isotope-labelled amino acid infusions can be combined with the ingestion of intrinsically labelled protein and the collection of blood and muscle tissue samples. The combined application of ingesting intrinsically labelled protein with continuous intravenous stable isotope-labelled amino acid infusion allows the simultaneous assessment of protein digestion and amino acid absorption kinetics (e.g. release of dietary protein-derived amino acids into the circulation), whole-body protein metabolism (whole-body protein synthesis, breakdown and oxidation rates and net protein balance) and skeletal muscle metabolism (muscle protein fractional synthesis rates and dietary protein-derived amino acid incorporation into muscle protein). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the various aspects of post-prandial protein handling and metabolism with a focus on insights obtained from studies that have applied intrinsically labelled protein under a variety of conditions in different populations.

Incomplete Muscle Activation After Training With Electromyostimulation

1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Hortobágyi ◽  
Jean Lambert ◽  
Kevin Scott
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Eccentric Contraction ◽  
Key Words Exercise ◽  
Eccentric Contractions ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Force Ratio ◽  
Evoked Force ◽  
Large Motor

Training with voluntary or electromyostimulation (EMS)-evoked eccentric contractions should produce complete muscle activation, since EMS and eccentric contractions preferentially recruit large motor units. Subjects (22 women ages 18-40) were randomly assigned to a voluntary (VOL; n = 8), EMS (n = 8), or control group. VOL and EMS groups trained the quadriceps at the same, increasing force levels 4 times/week for 6 weeks using voluntary or EMS-evoked eccentric contractions. VOL improved voluntary more than EMS-evoked eccentric strength. EMS improved EMS-evoked strength more than voluntary. EMS training improved EMS-evoked eccentric strength more than VOL training improved voluntary eccentric strength. EMS-evoked to voluntary force ratio increased from 0.57 (±0.11) to 1.20 (±0.35) in EMS and did not change in VOL (all changes p < .05). Six of eight EMS subjects produced greater EMS-evoked force posttraining, suggesting incomplete muscle activation after EMS training. Key words: exercise, eccentric contraction, muscle activation

scholarly journals Investigation of different stimulation patterns with doublet pulses to reduce muscle fatigue

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 205566831982580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruslinda Ruslee ◽  
Jennifer Miller ◽  
Henrik Gollee
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Functional Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Motor Units ◽  
Pulse Interval ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Fatigue Index ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cord Injury

Introduction: Functional electrical stimulation is a common technique used in the rehabilitation of individuals with a spinal cord injury to produce functional movement of paralysed muscles. However, it is often associated with rapid muscle fatigue which limits its applications. Methods: The objective of this study is to investigate the effects on the onset of fatigue of different multi-electrode patterns of stimulation via multiple pairs of electrodes using doublet pulses: Synchronous stimulation is compared to asynchronous stimulation patterns which are activated sequentially (AsynS) or randomly (AsynR), mimicking voluntary muscle activation by targeting different motor units. We investigated these three different approaches by applying stimulation to the gastrocnemius muscle repeatedly for 10 min (300 ms stimulation followed by 700 ms of no-stimulation) with 40 Hz effective frequency for all protocols and doublet pulses with an inter-pulse-interval of 6 ms. Eleven able-bodied volunteers (28 ± 3 years old) participated in this study. Ultrasound videos were recorded during stimulation to allow evaluation of changes in muscle morphology. The main fatigue indicators we focused on were the normalised fatigue index, fatigue time interval and pre-post twitch–tetanus ratio. Results: The results demonstrate that asynchronous stimulation with doublet pulses gives a higher normalised fatigue index (0.80 ± 0.08 and 0.87 ± 0.08) for AsynS and AsynR, respectively, than synchronous stimulation (0.62 ± 0.06). Furthermore, a longer fatigue time interval for AsynS (302.2 ± 230.9 s) and AsynR (384.4 ± 279.0 s) compared to synchronous stimulation (68.0 ± 30.5 s) indicates that fatigue occurs later during asynchronous stimulation; however, this was only found to be statistically significant for one of two methods used to calculate the group mean. Although no significant difference was found in pre-post twitch–tetanus ratio, there was a trend towards these effects. Conclusion: In this study, we proposed an asynchronous stimulation pattern for the application of functional electrical stimulation and investigated its suitability for reducing muscle fatigue compared to previous methods. The results show that asynchronous multi-electrode stimulation patterns with doublet pulses may improve fatigue resistance in functional electrical stimulation applications in some conditions.

Vestibular Influence on Human Auditory Space Perception

2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 1107-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Lewald ◽  
Hans-Otto Karnath
Keyword(s):  
Cold Water ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Space Perception ◽  
Median Plane ◽  
Vestibular Stimulation ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Interaural Level Difference ◽  
Auditory Periphery ◽  
Auditory Space ◽  
Sound Image

We investigated the effect of vestibular stimulation on the lateralization of dichotic sound by cold-water irrigation of the external auditory canal in human subjects. Subjects adjusted the interaural level difference of the auditory stimulus to the subjective median plane of the head. In those subjects in whom dizziness and nystagmus indicated sufficient vestibular stimulation, these adjustments were significantly shifted toward the cooled ear compared with the control condition (irrigation with water at body temperature); i.e., vestibular stimulation induced a shift of the sound image toward the nonstimulated side. The mean magnitude of the shift was 7.3 dB immediately after vestibular stimulation and decreased to 2.5 dB after 5 min. As shown by an additional control experiment, this effect cannot be attributed to a unilateral hearing loss induced by cooling of the auditory periphery. The results indicate the involvement of vestibular afferent information in the perception of sound location during movements of the head and/or the whole body. We thus hypothesize that vestibular information is used by central-nervous mechanisms generating a world-centered representation of auditory space.

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