Is there an intermuscular relationship in voluntary activation capacities and contractile kinetics?

Bigger Calves from Doing Higher Resistance Training Volume?

We compared the effects of different weekly calf training sets on muscle size changes. Sixty-one untrained young women performed a calf training program for 6 weeks, 3 d·wk-1, with differences in resistance training volume. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 6-SET, 9-SET, and 12-SET weekly calf training sets. The calf raise exercise was performed in sets of 15-20 repetitions maximum. The muscle thickness measurements of medial gastrocnemius (MG), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and soleus (SOL) were taken via B-mode ultrasound. We used the sum of the three-muscle thickness as a proxy for the triceps surae (TSSUM). The 12-SET group elicited greater increases than the 6-SET in LG (6-SET=+ 8.1% vs. 12-SET=+ 14.3%; P=0.017), SOL (6-SET=+ 6.7% vs. 12-SET=+ 12.7%; P=0.024), and TSSUM (6-SET=+ 6.9% vs. 12-SET=+ 12.0%; P=0.005), but there was no significant difference in MG changes (6-SET=+ 6.6% vs. 12-SET=+ 9.9%; P=0.067). There were no significant differences when comparing 9-SET vs. 6-SET and 12-SET (P≥0.099). Although all groups experienced calf muscle hypertrophy, our results suggest that the higher dose range may optimize triceps surae muscle size gains.

Post-activation potentiation after isometric contractions is strongly related to contraction intensity despite the similar torque-time integral

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is defined as an enhanced contractile response of a muscle following its own contractile activity and is influenced by the intensity and duration of the conditioning contraction. The aim of this study was to determine if the combination of intensity and duration, that is, torque-time integral (TTI) is a determinant of PAP amplitude. We compared PAP amplitude following low-to-maximal voluntary conditioning contraction intensities with and without similar TTI in the knee extensors. Twelve healthy males completed two experimental sessions. Femoral nerve stimulation was applied to evoke single twitches on the relaxed quadriceps before and after isometric conditioning contractions of knee extensors. In one session, participants performed conditioning contractions without similar TTI (6 s at 100, 80, 60, 40 and 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)), while they performed conditioning contractions with similar TTI in the other session (6 s at 100%, 7.5 s at 80%, 10 s at 60%, 15 s at 40%, and 30 s at 20% MVC). In both sessions, PAP amplitude was related to conditioning contraction intensity. The higher the conditioning contraction intensity with or without similar TTI, the higher PAP. Significant correlations were found (i) between PAP and conditioning contraction intensity with (r2 = 0.70; P < 0.001) or without similar TTI (r2 = 0.64; P < 0.001), and (ii) between PAP with and without similar TTI (r2 = 0.82; P < 0.001). The results provide evidence that TTI has a minor influence on PAP in the knee extensors. This suggests that to optimize the effect of PAP, it is more relevant to control the intensity of the contraction rather than the TTI.

Characterization of neuromuscular performances in adults with late-onset Pompe disease: A control case cross-sectional study

Adults with late-onset Pompe disease (aLOPD) are characterized by muscular contractile tissue deterioration. However, their neuromuscular performances are poorly known. We aimed to compare maximal muscle strength, activation, explosive strength and neuromuscular fatigue between aLOPD and controls. We studied 20 aLOPD and 20 matched controls. Isometric maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) torque was obtained for the hip, knee and ankle muscles. The voluntary activation level (VAL) during knee extensor MVC was assessed using interpolated twitch technique. Explosive strength was evaluated for knee and ankle muscles through the rate of torque development (RTD) during fast contractions. Neuromuscular fatigue was measured during a 30-second contraction of knee flexors and extensors. All muscle MVC torques were significantly lower in aLOPD than controls (p <0.05). The weakest muscles were the hip extensors followed by hip abductors and abductors. Raw value of RTD was lower in aLOPD for the majority of muscles (p <0.05). No intergroup differences were reported for normalized RTD, VAL and neuromuscular fatigue (p-values> 0.05). Our study shows that maximal strength was the only neuromuscular characteristic affected in aLOPD with a proximal-distal intensity gradient. This suggests that the surviving muscle tissue of aLOPD is as functionally efficient as that of control individuals.

Muscular strength and skeletal muscle mass in 511 physically independent older women aged 60-88 years

Although one-repetition maximum (1RM) and lean soft tissue (LST) are the most common measures to assess muscular strength and skeletal muscle mass in older adults, reference data is still missing. Therefore, the present study aimed to produce reference values for the 1RM tests and LST in physically independent older women. Furthermore, the effect of age and body segment on these outcomes was examined. Five hundred and eleven older women aged 60-88 years participated in the present study. The 1RM tests were performed on chest press, leg extension, and preacher curl exercises. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry exams were used to determine total and segmental LST. The 1RM and LST average values: chest press = 44.0 ± 11.1 kg, leg extension = 48.8 ± 11.8 kg, preacher curl = 21.6 ± 5.4 kg; trunk LST = 19.0 ± 2.7 kg, lower-limbs LST = 12.5 ± 1.9 kg, upper-limbs LST = 4.0 ± 0.7 kg, appendicular LST = 16.6 ± 2.6, total LST = 38.5 ± 5.2 kg. The age-related declines in 1RM chest press and leg extension were higher than in preacher curl. The present study provides reference values for 1RM of different body segments and total and segmental LST in older women. In addition, our results revealed a reduction of muscular strength and LST with increasing age, and the magnitude of the age-related strength reduction depends on the body segment analyzed.

Acute effect of tendon vibration applied during isometric contraction at two knee angles on maximal knee extension force production

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of a single session of prolonged tendon vibration combined with low submaximal isometric contraction on maximal motor performance. Thirty-two young sedentary adults were assigned into two groups that differed based on the knee angle tested: 90° or 150° (180° = full knee extension). Participants performed two fatigue-inducing exercise protocols: one with three 10 min submaximal (10% of maximal voluntary contraction) knee extensor contractions and patellar tendon vibration (80 Hz) another with submaximal knee extensor contractions only. Before and after each fatigue protocol, maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC), voluntary activation level (assessed by the twitch interpolation technique), peak-to-peak amplitude of maximum compound action potentials of vastus medialis and vastus lateralis (assessed by electromyography with the use of electrical nerve stimulation), peak twitch amplitude and peak doublet force were measured. The knee extensor fatigue was significantly (P<0.05) greater in the 90° knee angle group (-20.6% MVC force, P<0.05) than the 150° knee angle group (-8.3% MVC force, P = 0.062). Both peripheral and central alterations could explain the reduction in MVC force at 90° knee angle. However, tendon vibration added to isometric contraction did not exacerbate the reduction in MVC force. These results clearly demonstrate that acute infrapatellar tendon vibration using a commercial apparatus operating at optimal conditions (i.e. contracted and stretched muscle) does not appear to induce knee extensor neuromuscular fatigue in young sedentary subjects.