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Zero AM, Rice CL. Inducing postactivation potentiation alters human motor unit behavior of the elbow extensors during unconstrained velocity contractions. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:1704-1716. [PMID: 39412559 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00274.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/13/2024] [Indexed: 11/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test whether inducing postactivation potentiation (PAP) altered motor unit (MU) activity during dynamic isotonic contractions. From 12 participants (3 females), 39 MUs were recorded from the anconeus (n = 31) and lateral triceps brachii (n = 8) with fine-wire electrodes during elbow extensions at 50% and 75% of peak power with, and without PAP. To induce PAP, participants produced a 2-s ramp conditioning contraction (CC) up to maximal isometric elbow extension with a 3-s hold. Following the CC (∼2 s), independent electrical stimulation to the triceps and anconeus showed twitch torques that were potentiated by 84% and 66%, respectively (both P < 0.001). Compared with baseline (i.e., without PAP), at both intensities (50% and 75%) PAP increased MU recruitment thresholds by 40% and 80% (P < 0.001) with lowered mean MU rates (-20% and -26%), and instantaneous rates at recruitment threshold (-26% and -25%) (all P < 0.001). Firing rates increased 20% (P < 0.001) from 50% to 75% power, but rates during potentiated contractions targeting 75% were lower than baseline at 50% (-10%, P < 0.001). Dynamic contractions provide a more functional paradigm to assess MU activity with PAP and showed larger effects across a wider range of contractile intensities compared with previously described isometric tasks. Findings indicate that peripheral feedback from the potentiated muscle is likely not the primary mechanism in modifying MU behaviors as changes occurred at recruitment that is relatively insensitive to afferent feedback. Therefore, MU activity during dynamic contractions is responsive to activation history force potentiation and adapts to optimize contractile output.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Inducing postactivation potentiation (PAP) increased motor unit (MU) recruitment thresholds, but decreased firing rates during dynamic isotonic contractions at 50% and 75% peak power compared with baseline (no PAP). Compared with previously described isometric tasks, modifications in MU activity with PAP were larger across a wider range of contractile intensities (75% maximum). Single MUs are responsive to activation history force potentiation and make compensatory adjustments in relation to the active state of the muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Zero
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles L Rice
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine, and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Dos Anjos FV, Cabral HV, de Oliveira Silva A, Vieira TM, de Oliveira LF. Assessing the Feasibility of EMG Biofeedback to Reduce the Upper Trapezius Muscle Excitation during a Seated Row Exercise, a Non-randomized Comparative Study. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2024; 49:577-587. [PMID: 39177899 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-024-09657-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
The upper trapezius muscle is often excessively excited during resistance training exercises, increasing the shoulder's liability to musculoskeletal disorders of individuals participating in overhead sports or throwing activities. Different approaches have been proposed for reducing the potentially harmful loading of the upper trapezius. None, however, has been devised to deal directly with the main culprit: the muscle excitation. This non-randomized comparative study explores the feasibility of biofeedback based on surface electromyograms (EMGs) in suppressing undue excitation of the upper trapezius during a seated row exercise. Eight male volunteers were instructed to perform the wide-grip seated row exercise without and with the EMG biofeedback of the upper trapezius. Surface EMGs from the three portions of the trapezius and the serratus anterior were sampled with pairs of surface electrodes. A triaxial accelerometer was positioned on the weight stack for the identification of the exercise phase and repetition. This study showed that during the "with biofeedback" condition, the participants were able to activate the upper trapezius and serratus anterior to a lower degree (~ 10%) compared to the "without biofeedback" condition. Future studies should explore if this can lead to greater gains in muscle performance and/or reduce the risk of shoulder injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Vieira Dos Anjos
- Laboratório de Biomecânica, Programa de Engenharia Biomédica (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Centro Universitário Augusto Motta (UNISUAM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Hélio V Cabral
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, BS, Italy
| | - Amanda de Oliveira Silva
- Laboratório de Biomecânica, Programa de Engenharia Biomédica (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Taian Martins Vieira
- Laboratorio di Ingegneria del Sistema Neuromuscolare (LISiN), Dipartimento di Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, TO, Italy
- Polito BIO Med Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, TO, Italy
| | - Liliam Fernandes de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biomecânica, Programa de Engenharia Biomédica (COPPE), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Escola de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Coraggio G, Cera M, Cirelli M, Valentini PP. Review and comparison of linear algorithms to quantify muscle fatigue based on sEMG signals. ERGONOMICS 2024; 67:1729-1747. [PMID: 38733111 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2024.2349962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Surface electromyography techniques are widely used in field of motion analysis and ergonomics combining precise muscular activation assessment with low-invasiveness and wearability. The aim of this investigation is to identify the myoelectrical manifestations of fatigue and to compare the effectiveness of sEMG-based quantitative indices for fatigue assessment. The investigated indexes are the ARV and RMS signal amplitudes, the mean frequency, the median frequency, the Dimitrov index, the instantaneous mean frequency and Wavelet distribution-based WIRE51 index. Two different protocols were developed, and the activity of the lateral deltoid and middle trapezius muscles was recorded. The WIRE51 index is found to have the highest sensitivity in the detection of the difference between the repetitions of each exercise for both protocols. Due to the lack of a unified standard for the performance comparison of fatigue indices, a correlation analysis was carried out between the result provided by the indices and the subjective fatigue perception employing the RPE scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Coraggio
- Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Mattia Cera
- Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Cirelli
- Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Pier Paolo Valentini
- Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Karacan I, Türker KS. A comparison of electromyography techniques: surface versus intramuscular recording. Eur J Appl Physiol 2024:10.1007/s00421-024-05640-x. [PMID: 39438311 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-024-05640-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 10/07/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
This review is a comprehensive guide for electromyography (EMG) researchers, providing a comparison of skin EMG recording (surface EMG: sEMG and high-density sEMG: HD-sEMG) and intramuscular EMG recording (multi-motor unit-MMU and single motor unit electromyography-SMU). We delve into the nuances of techniques, highlighting their strengths and limitations in quantifying muscle activation during dynamic and static conditions. We first examine how EMG signals change with time, focussing on the interplay between motor unit synchronisation and signal amplitude. The review then explores the impact of electrode placement on signal quality. We further discuss the challenges of signal cancellation, crosstalk from neighbouring muscles, and motion artifacts, which can significantly affect signal integrity. Finally, we address the temporal changes in electrode impedance and its implications for data interpretation. Our analysis proposes that specific research objectives should guide the choice amongst sEMG, HD-sEMG, SMU and MMU. MMU, which records the peak counts of individual motor unit action potentials from a localised muscle area, is particularly suited for studying deep or small muscles during static and dynamic activities. Its high sensitivity to motor unit recruitment and discharge rates minimises the impact of factors such as signal cancellation and motion artefacts. Conversely, sEMG is well-suited for short-duration, isometric assessments of large, superficial muscles. HD-sEMG helps study single motor unit properties under isometric conditions. SMU is particularly suited for studying neuronal networks between stimulated sites and motor neurons. This review aims to provide researchers with the information to select the most appropriate EMG technique for their investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilhan Karacan
- Hamidiye Medical School, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Health Science University Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Istanbul Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Kemal Sitki Türker
- Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Physiology, Istanbul Gelisim University, Avcilar, Istanbul, Türkiye.
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Rodiles-Guerrero L, Sánchez-Valdepeñas J, Cornejo-Daza PJ, Páez-Maldonado J, Cano-Castillo C, Bachero-Mena B, Sánchez-Moreno M, Pareja-Blanco F. Effects of Velocity Loss During Bench-Press Training With Light Relative Loads. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2024; 19:1076-1086. [PMID: 39168458 DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study explored the effects of 4 bench-press (BP) training programs with different velocity-loss (VL) thresholds (0%, 15%, 25%, and 50%) on strength gains and neuromuscular adaptations. METHODS Forty-six resistance-trained men (22.8 [4.4] y) were randomly assigned into 4 groups that differed in the VL allowed within the set: 0% (VL0), 15% (VL15), 25% (VL25), and 50% (VL50). Training loads (40%-55% 1-repetition maximum), frequency (2 sessions/wk), number of sets (3), and interset recovery (4 min) were identical for all groups. Participants completed the following tests before and after an 8-week (16-session) BP training program: (1) maximal isometric test, (2) progressive loading test, and (3) fatigue test in the BP exercise. During all tests, triceps brachii muscle electromyography was assessed. RESULTS After completing the resistance-training program, no significant group × time interactions were noticed for isometric and dynamic BP strength variables. The dose-response relationship exhibited an inverted U-shaped relationship pattern, with VL25 showing the greatest effect sizes for almost all strength variables analyzed. The total number of repetitions performed during the training program increased as the VL magnitude increased. CONCLUSIONS The group that trained with high VL threshold (50%), which performed a total of 876 repetitions, did not experience additional strength gains compared with those experienced by the 0%, 15%, and 25% of VL groups, which performed significantly fewer repetitions (48, 357, and 547, respectively). These findings suggest that when light loads (40%-55% 1-repetition maximum) are used, low and moderate VL thresholds (0%-25%) provide a higher training efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Rodiles-Guerrero
- Department of Human Movement and Sport Performance, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Juan Sánchez-Valdepeñas
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Physical Performance and Sports Research Center, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Pedro Jesús Cornejo-Daza
- Department of Human Movement and Sport Performance, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Physical Performance and Sports Research Center, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - José Páez-Maldonado
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- University of Osuna (center attached to the University of Seville), Osuna, Spain
| | - Clara Cano-Castillo
- Department of Human Movement and Sport Performance, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Beatriz Bachero-Mena
- Department of Human Movement and Sport Performance, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Miguel Sánchez-Moreno
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Fernando Pareja-Blanco
- Science-Based Training Research Group, Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
- Department of Sports and Computer Sciences, Physical Performance and Sports Research Center, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
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Garosi E, Kazemi Z, Mazloumi A, Keihani A. Changes in Neck and Shoulder Muscles Fatigue Threshold When Using a Passive Head/Neck Supporting Exoskeleton During Repetitive Overhead Tasks. HUMAN FACTORS 2024; 66:2269-2282. [PMID: 37955578 DOI: 10.1177/00187208231213728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the effects of a head/neck supporting exoskeleton (HNSE) on the electromyographic fatigue threshold (EMGFT) of the neck and shoulder muscles during a simulated overhead work task. BACKGROUND Overhead work is a well-known risk factor for neck and shoulder musculoskeletal disorders due to the excessive strain imposed on the muscles and joints in these regions. METHOD Fourteen healthy males performed a repetitive overhead nut fastening/unfastening task to exhaustion while wearing and not wearing the HNSE at two neck extension angles (40% and 80% of neck maximum range of motion). Electromyographic signals were continuously recorded from the right and left sternocleidomastoid (SCMR, SCML), splenius capitis (SCR, SCL), upper trapezius (UTR, UTL), and anterior deltoid (ADR, ADL) muscles. The normalized electromyographic amplitude (nEMG) data was time normalized, and a bisegmental linear regression was applied to determine the muscle fatigue break point. RESULTS The results showed a significant increase in fatigue threshold time in the SCMR (p < .001), SCML (p = .002), and UTR (p = .037) muscles when the HNSE was used. However, the EMGFT times for the right and left deltoid and left trapezius muscles showed a nonsignificant reduction due to the head/neck support exoskeleton use. In addition, the neck extension angle did not reveal a significant effect on muscles' EMGFT time. CONCLUSION Overall, the findings confirmed a significant delay in fatigue onset in sternocleidomastoid muscles, as measured by the electromyographic fatigue threshold. This finding suggests that the HNSE can be an effective ergonomic intervention for reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in overhead workers. However, further studies are needed to investigate the effect of the HNSE at other neck extension angles and more realistic tasks to ensure the generalizability of our results. APPLICATION The present findings emphasize the application of the fatigue onset time to evaluate the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions, including exoskeletons, which can subsequently be utilized to alleviate postural demands and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Garosi
- Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Re R, Scano A, Amata O, Spinelli L, Tomba A, Brambilla C, Frizziero A, Caserta AV, Cubeddu R, Torricelli A, Contini D. A personalized clinical assessment: multi-sensor approach for understanding musculoskeletal health in the frail population. Biomed Eng Online 2024; 23:91. [PMID: 39252062 PMCID: PMC11382456 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-024-01287-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sarcopenia is a muscle disorder causing a progressive reduction of muscle mass and strength, but the mechanism of its manifestation is still partially unknown. The three main parameters to assess are: muscle strength, muscle volume or quality and low physical performance. There is not a definitive approach to assess the musculoskeletal condition of frail population and often the available tests to be performed in those clinical bedridden patients is reduced because of physical impairments. In this paper, we propose a novel instrumental multi-domain and non-invasive approach during a well-defined protocol of measurements for overcoming these limitations. A group of 28 bedridden elder people, subjected to surgery after hip fracture, was asked to perform voluntary isometric contractions at the 80% of their maximum voluntary contraction with the non-injured leg. The sensor employed before and/or during the exercise were: ultrasound to determine the muscle architecture (vastus lateralis); force acquisition with a load cell placed on the chair, giving an indication of the muscle strength; surface electromyography (EMG) for monitoring muscular electrical activity; time-domain (TD) near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for evaluating muscle oxidative metabolism. RESULTS A personalized "report card" for each subject was created. It includes: the force diagram (both instantaneous and cumulative, expected and measured); the EMG-force diagram for a comparison between EMG derived median frequency and measured force; two graphs related to the hemodynamic parameters for muscle oxidative metabolism evaluation, i.e., oxy-, deoxy-, total-hemoglobin and tissue oxygen saturation for the whole exercise period. A table with the absolute values of the previous hemodynamic parameters during the rest and the ultrasound related parameters are also included. CONCLUSIONS In this work, we present the union of protocols, multi-domain sensors and parameters for the evaluation of the musculoskeletal condition. The novelties are the use of sensors of different nature, i.e., force, electrical and optical, together with a new way to visualize and combine the results, by means of a concise, exhaustive and personalized medical report card for each patient. This assessment, totally non-invasive, is focused on a bedridden population, but can be extended to the monitoring of rehabilitation progresses or of the training of athletes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Re
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy.
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), National Research Council (CNR), Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - A Scano
- Institute of Intelligent Industrial Systems and Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing (STIIMA), Italian National Research Council (CNR), 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - O Amata
- Department of Rehabilitation, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Gaetano Pini-Centro Specialistico Ortopedico Traumatologico (CTO), Piazza Cardinal Ferrari 1, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - L Spinelli
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), National Research Council (CNR), Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - A Tomba
- Department of Rehabilitation, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Gaetano Pini-Centro Specialistico Ortopedico Traumatologico (CTO), Piazza Cardinal Ferrari 1, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - C Brambilla
- Institute of Intelligent Industrial Systems and Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing (STIIMA), Italian National Research Council (CNR), 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - A Frizziero
- Department of Rehabilitation, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Gaetano Pini-Centro Specialistico Ortopedico Traumatologico (CTO), Piazza Cardinal Ferrari 1, 20122, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - A V Caserta
- Department of Rehabilitation, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) Gaetano Pini-Centro Specialistico Ortopedico Traumatologico (CTO), Piazza Cardinal Ferrari 1, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | - R Cubeddu
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - A Torricelli
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN), National Research Council (CNR), Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - D Contini
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32, 20133, Milan, Italy
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Abran G, Berraz A, Dardenne N, Gramage K, Bornheim S, Delvaux F, Croisier JL, Schwartz C. A comparison of foot and ankle biomechanics during running drills and distance running. Sports Biomech 2024:1-16. [PMID: 39058574 DOI: 10.1080/14763141.2024.2382804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the foot-ankle joint mechanics of running drills and running. Seventeen long-distance runners performed five popular running drills (A-skip, B-skip, Bounding, Heel flicks, Straight leg running) and a run at 3.88 m/s. Kinematics, kinetics and power values were calculated for the ankle, midtarsal (MT) and metatarsophalangeal (MP) joints. Electromyographic activity was recorded for the soleus, gastrocnemius medialis, lateralis and abductor hallucis muscle. The A-skip, the B-skip and the Heel flicks induced a smaller ankle (p < 0.001, ŋ2 = 0.41), MT (p < 0.001, ŋ2 = 0.43) and MP (p < 0.001, ŋ2 = 0.47) dorsiflexion peak than running. No difference was found between the running drills and running for ankle, MT and MP moment. The Bounding induces a higher positive ankle power than running (diff: 5.5 ± 7.5 J/kg, p = 0.014, d = 1.05). The A-skip (diff: 2.8 ± 2.9 J/kg, p < 0.001, d = 1.5) and the B-skip (diff: 2.7 ± 2.1 J/kg, p < 0.001, d = 1.4) induce a smaller MT positive power than running. This study offers an analysis of the mechanical behaviour of the foot-ankle complex to help track and field coaches select their running drills in an evidence-based manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Abran
- LAM - Motion Lab, Liége, Belgium
- Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Audrey Berraz
- Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), Alliance Sorbonne Université, Compiègne, France
| | - Nadia Dardenne
- University and Hospital Biostatistics Center (B-STAT), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Kevin Gramage
- LAM - Motion Lab, Liége, Belgium
- Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Stephen Bornheim
- Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - François Delvaux
- LAM - Motion Lab, Liége, Belgium
- Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Jean-Louis Croisier
- LAM - Motion Lab, Liége, Belgium
- Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
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Shigapova RR, Mukhamedshina YO. Electrophysiology Methods for Assessing of Neurodegenerative and Post-Traumatic Processes as Applied to Translational Research. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:737. [PMID: 38929721 PMCID: PMC11205106 DOI: 10.3390/life14060737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological studies have long established themselves as reliable methods for assessing the functional state of the brain and spinal cord, the degree of neurodegeneration, and evaluating the effectiveness of therapy. In addition, they can be used to diagnose, predict functional outcomes, and test the effectiveness of therapeutic and rehabilitation programs not only in clinical settings, but also at the preclinical level. Considering the urgent need to develop potential stimulators of neuroregeneration, it seems relevant to obtain objective data when modeling neurological diseases in animals. Thus, in the context of the application of electrophysiological methods, not only the comparison of the basic characteristics of bioelectrical activity of the brain and spinal cord in humans and animals, but also their changes against the background of neurodegenerative and post-traumatic processes are of particular importance. In light of the above, this review will contribute to a better understanding of the results of electrophysiological assessment in neurodegenerative and post-traumatic processes as well as the possibility of translating these methods from model animals to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rezeda Ramilovna Shigapova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia;
| | - Yana Olegovna Mukhamedshina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia;
- Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan 420012, Russia
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Smit IH, Parmentier JIM, Rovel T, van Dieen J, Serra Bragança FM. Towards standardisation of surface electromyography measurements in the horse: Bipolar electrode location. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2024; 76:102884. [PMID: 38593582 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2024.102884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of surface electromyography in the field of animal locomotion has increased considerably over the past decade. However, no consensus exists on the methodology for data collection in horses. This study aimed to start the development of recommendations for bipolar electrode locations to collect surface electromyographic data from horses during dynamic tasks. Data were collected from 21 superficial muscles of three horses during trot on a treadmill using linear electrode arrays. The data were assessed both quantitatively (signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and coefficient of variation (CoV)) and qualitatively (presence of crosstalk and activation patterns) to compare and select electrode locations for each muscle. For most muscles and horses, the highest SNR values were detected near or cranial/proximal to the central region of the muscle. Concerning the CoV, there were larger differences between muscles and horses than within muscles. Qualitatively, crosstalk was suspected to be present in the signals of twelve muscles but not in all locations in the arrays. With this study, a first attempt is made to develop recommendations for bipolar electrode locations for muscle activity measurements during dynamic contractions in horses. The results may help to improve the reliability and reproducibility of study results in equine biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- I H Smit
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584CM Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - J I M Parmentier
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584CM Utrecht, the Netherlands; Pervasive Systems Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Twente, 7522NB Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - T Rovel
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - J van Dieen
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - F M Serra Bragança
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584CM Utrecht, the Netherlands; Sleip AI, Birger Jarlsgatan 58, 11426 Stockholm, Sweden
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Angius L, Del Vecchio A, Goodall S, Thomas K, Ansdell P, Atkinson E, Farina D, Howatson G. Supraspinal, spinal, and motor unit adjustments to fatiguing isometric contractions of the knee extensors at low and high submaximal intensities in males. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2024; 136:1546-1558. [PMID: 38695356 PMCID: PMC11368526 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00675.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Contraction intensity is a key factor determining the development of muscle fatigue, and it has been shown to induce distinct changes along the motor pathway. The role of cortical and spinal inputs that regulate motor unit (MU) behavior during fatiguing contractions is poorly understood. We studied the cortical, spinal, and neuromuscular response to sustained fatiguing isometric tasks performed at 20% and 70% of the maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MVC), together with MU behavior of knee extensors in healthy active males. Neuromuscular function was assessed before and after performance of both tasks. Cortical and spinal responses during exercise were measured via stimulation of the motor cortex and spinal cord. High-density electromyography was used to record individual MUs from the vastus lateralis (VL). Exercise at 70%MVC induced greater decline in MVC (P = 0.023) and potentiated twitch force compared with 20%MVC (P < 0.001), with no difference in voluntary activation (P = 0.514). Throughout exercise, corticospinal responses were greater during the 20%MVC task (P < 0.001), and spinal responses increased over time in both tasks (P ≤ 0.042). MU discharge rate increased similarly after both tasks (P ≤ 0.043), whereas recruitment and derecruitment thresholds were unaffected (P ≥ 0.295). These results suggest that increased excitability of cortical and spinal inputs might be responsible for the increase in MU discharge rate. The increase in evoked responses together with the higher MU discharge rate might be required to compensate for peripheral adjustments to sustain fatiguing contractions at different intensities.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Changes in central nervous system and muscle function occur in response to fatiguing exercise and are specific to exercise intensity. This study measured corticospinal, neuromuscular, and motor unit behavior to fatiguing isometric tasks performed at different intensities. Both tasks increased corticospinal excitability and motor unit discharge rate. Our findings suggest that these acute adjustments are required to compensate for the exercise-induced decrements in neuromuscular function caused by fatiguing tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Angius
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Del Vecchio
- Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stuart Goodall
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Ansdell
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Elliot Atkinson
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Dario Farina
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Glyn Howatson
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Water Research Group, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Kazemi Z, Arjmand N, Mazloumi A, Karimi Z, Keihani A, Ghasemi MS. Effect of muscular fatigue on the cumulative lumbar damage during repetitive lifting task: a comparative study of damage calculation methods. ERGONOMICS 2024; 67:566-581. [PMID: 37418312 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2023.2234678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Several methods have been put forward to quantify cumulative loads; however, limited evidence exists as to the subsequent damages and the role of muscular fatigue. The present study assessed whether muscular fatigue could affect cumulative damage imposed on the L5-S1 joint. Trunk muscle electromyographic (EMG) activities and kinematics/kinetics of 18 healthy male individuals were evaluated during a simulated repetitive lifting task. A traditional EMG-assisted model of the lumbar spine was modified to account for the effect of erector spinae fatigue. L5-S1 compressive loads for each lifting cycle were estimated based on varying (i.e. actual), fatigue-modified, and constant Gain factors. The corresponding damages were integrated to calculate the cumulative damage. Moreover, the damage calculated for one lifting cycle was multiplied by the lifting frequency, as the traditional approach. Compressive loads and the damages obtained through the fatigue-modified model were predicted in close agreement with the actual values. Similarly, the difference between actual damages and those driven by the traditional approach was not statistically significant (p = 0.219). However, damages based on a constant Gain factor were significantly greater than those based on the actual (p = 0.012), fatigue-modified (p = 0.017), and traditional (p = 0.007) approaches.Practitioner summary: In this study, we managed to include the effect of muscular fatigue on cumulative lumbar damage calculations. Including the effect of muscular fatigue leads to an accurate estimation of cumulative damages while eliminating computational complexity. However, using the traditional approach also appears to provide acceptable estimates for ergonomic assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Kazemi
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Navid Arjmand
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Adel Mazloumi
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zanyar Karimi
- Department of Ergonomics, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmadreza Keihani
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Ziane C, Goubault E, Michaud B, Begon M, Dal Maso F. Muscle fatigue during assisted violin performance. ERGONOMICS 2024; 67:275-287. [PMID: 37264800 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2023.2221416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Muscle fatigue is a primary risk factor in developing musculoskeletal disorders, which affect up to 93% musicians, especially violinists. Devices providing dynamic assistive support (DAS) to the violin-holding arm can lessen fatigue. The objective was to assess DAS effects on electromyography median frequency and joint kinematics during a fatiguing violin-playing task. Fifteen university-level and professional violinists were equipped with electromyography sensors and reflective markers to record upper-body muscle activity and kinematics. They played G scales with and without DAS until exhaustion. Paired t-tests assessed DAS effects on delta (final-initial) electromyography median frequencies and joint kinematics. DAS prevented the median frequency decrease of left supraspinatus, superior trapezius, and right medial deltoid, and increases in trunk rotation, left-wrist abduction, and right arm-elevation plane. DAS effects on kinematics were marginal due to retention of musical performance despite fatigue. However, DAS reduced fatigue of several muscles, which is promising for injury prevention.Practitioner summary: Violinists are greatly affected by musculoskeletal disorders. Effects of a mobility assistive device on muscle fatigue during violin playing was investigated. The assistive technology slowed down the development of fatigue for three neck/shoulder muscles, making assisted musical performance a promising avenue to prevent violinists' injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Ziane
- Laboratoire de simulation et modélisation du mouvement, School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, University of Montreal, Laval, Canada
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Etienne Goubault
- Laboratoire de simulation et modélisation du mouvement, School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, University of Montreal, Laval, Canada
| | - Benjamin Michaud
- Laboratoire de simulation et modélisation du mouvement, School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, University of Montreal, Laval, Canada
| | - Mickaël Begon
- Laboratoire de simulation et modélisation du mouvement, School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, University of Montreal, Laval, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Canada
| | - Fabien Dal Maso
- Laboratoire de simulation et modélisation du mouvement, School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, University of Montreal, Laval, Canada
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
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14
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Cadeo GM, Fujita RA, Villalba MM, Silva NRS, Júnior CI, Pearcey GEP, Gomes MM. Myoelectric activity and improvements in strength and hypertrophy are unaffected by the ankle position during prone leg curl exercise - a within person randomized trial. Eur J Sport Sci 2023; 23:2200-2209. [PMID: 37194431 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2023.2214794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
To examine the effect of ankle position (i.e. gastrocnemius muscle length) on training outcomes during leg curl exercise, we recruited untrained and trained healthy adults to participate in two separate experiments. In Experiment 1, we studied the acute influence of ankle position on knee flexor myoelectric (EMG) activity during leg curl exercise in a group of trained and a separate group of untrained adults. In Experiment 2, we studied the effects of ankle position on knee flexors muscle thickness and torque across a 10-week training protocol in trained adults. We hypothesized that leg curl exercise with the ankle in a plantarflexed position would enhance EMG activity, muscular strength, and hamstrings muscle thickness. We randomized the legs within a person to perform leg curl exercise with one in a plantarflexed position and the other in a dorsiflexed position. Experiment 1 revealed no significant differences between ankle positions in the EMG activity of hamstring muscle in either group (all p > 0.05). Experiment 2 revealed a significant pre- to post-intervention increase in biceps femoris long head (BFLH) muscle thickness (p = 0.026) and isometric torque (p = 0.03), but there were no significant effects of the ankle position (p = 0.596) or interaction between ankle position and timepoint for these variables (p = 0.420). In sum, the ankle position did not have acute effects on hamstrings EMG activity, nor did it affect strength and hypertrophy adaptations after 10-weeks of leg curl exercise training. Interestingly, however, the limb which performed leg curl exercise in a dorsiflexed position performed a higher total training volume.Highlights Different ankle positions (i.e. dorsiflexion or plantarflexion) do not affect hamstrings EMG activity during prone leg curl exercise.Different ankle positions show similar adaptation in strength and hypertrophy of biceps femoris long head after 10 weeks of training.Training in the plantarflexed position may be useful for time-constrained individuals, allowing similar training adaptations with smaller training volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M Cadeo
- School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael A Fujita
- Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Marina M Villalba
- Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Nilson R S Silva
- School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudinei Iossi Júnior
- School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Gregory E P Pearcey
- School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
| | - Matheus M Gomes
- School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
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15
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Correa M, Projetti M, Siegler IA, Vignais N. Mechanomyographic Analysis for Muscle Activity Assessment during a Load-Lifting Task. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7969. [PMID: 37766025 PMCID: PMC10535044 DOI: 10.3390/s23187969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare electromyographic (EMG) with mechanomyographic (MMG) recordings during isometric conditions, and during a simulated load-lifting task. Twenty-two males (age: 25.5 ± 5.3 years) first performed maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and submaximal isometric contractions of upper limb muscles at 25%, 50% and 75% MVC. Participants then executed repetitions of a functional activity simulating a load-lifting task above shoulder level, at 25%, 50% and 75% of their maximum activity (based on MVC). The low-frequency part of the accelerometer signal (<5 Hz) was used to segment the six phases of the motion. EMG and MMG were both recorded during the entire experimental procedure. Root mean square (RMS) and mean power frequency (MPF) were selected as signal extraction features. During isometric contractions, EMG and MMG exhibited similar repeatability scores. They also shared similar RMS vs. force relationship, with RMS increasing to 75% MVC and plateauing to 100%. MPF decreased with increasing force to 75% MVC. In dynamic condition, RMSMMG exhibited higher sensitivity to changes in load than RMSEMG. These results confirm the feasibility of MMG measurements to be used during functional activities outside the laboratory. It opens new perspectives for future applications in sports science, ergonomics and human-machine interface conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Correa
- Laboratoire CIAMS (Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives), Université Paris-Saclay, CEDEX, 91405 Orsay, France; (I.A.S.); (N.V.)
- Laboratoire CIAMS (Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives), Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
- Moten Technologies, 92800 Puteaux, France
| | | | - Isabelle A. Siegler
- Laboratoire CIAMS (Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives), Université Paris-Saclay, CEDEX, 91405 Orsay, France; (I.A.S.); (N.V.)
- Laboratoire CIAMS (Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives), Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Vignais
- Laboratoire CIAMS (Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives), Université Paris-Saclay, CEDEX, 91405 Orsay, France; (I.A.S.); (N.V.)
- Laboratoire CIAMS (Complexité, Innovation, Activités Motrices et Sportives), Université d’Orléans, 45067 Orléans, France
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16
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Acaröz Candan S, Sözen H, Arı E. Electromyographic activity of quadriceps muscles during eccentric squat exercises: implications for exercise selection in patellar tendinopathy. Res Sports Med 2023; 31:517-527. [PMID: 34856831 DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2021.2010200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the quadriceps muscle activity during eccentric squat exercises (ESE) with different decline angles and arcs of motion regarding the proper exercise selection for patellar tendinopathy management. Electromyographic activity of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) muscles was measured during ESE on 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, and 20° decline in 20 recreationally active participants. The eccentric phase was divided into 0-30°, 30-60°, 60-90°, 0-60°, 30-90°, and 0-90° of knee flexion simultaneously via motion-analysis system. The analyses showed that there was a significant decline angle × arc interaction effect on electromyographic activity of all muscles during knee flexion movement. The main effect was found for the arc of motion of knee flexion, and the main effect for the decline angle also was present for each muscle, except for VMO. This study demonstrated that most selective quadriceps eccentric activation occurred during ESE performed on 20° decline throughout 60-90° of knee flexion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevim Acaröz Candan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Hasan Sözen
- School of Physical Education and Sport, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey
| | - Erdal Arı
- School of Physical Education and Sport, Ordu University, Ordu, Turkey
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17
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Udin G, Fernandez Menendez A, Hoyois J, Chevalier M, Malatesta D. Time course of muscle activation, energetics and mechanics of running in minimalist and traditional cushioned shoes during level running. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5007. [PMID: 36973387 PMCID: PMC10043033 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31984-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to compare the ankle muscles activation, biomechanics and energetics of running in male runners during submaximal level run using minimalist (MinRS) and traditional cushioned (TrdRS) running shoes. During 45-min running in MinRS and TrdRS, the ankle muscles pre- and co-activation, biomechanics, and energetics of running of 16 male endurance runners (25.5 ± 3.5 yr) were assessed using surface electromyography (tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius lateralis), instrumented treadmill and indirect calorimetry, respectively. The net energy cost of running (Cr) was similar for both conditions (P = 0.25) with a significant increase over time (P < 0.0001). Step frequency (P < 0.001), and total mechanical work (P = 0.001) were significantly higher in MinRS than in TrdRS with no evolution over time (P = 0.28 and P = 0.85, respectively). The ankle muscles pre- and co-activation during the contact phase did not differ between the two shoe conditions (P ≥ 0.33) or over time (P ≥ 0.15). In conclusion, during 45-min running, Cr and muscle pre- and co-activation were not significantly different between MinRS and TrdRS with significantly higher step frequency and total mechanical work noted in the former than in the latter. Moreover, Cr significantly increased during the 45-min trial in both shoe conditions along with no significant change over time in muscle activation and biomechanical variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Udin
- Institute of Sport Sciences of University of Lausanne (ISSUL), University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Synathlon, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aitor Fernandez Menendez
- Institute of Sport Sciences of University of Lausanne (ISSUL), University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Synathlon, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Hoyois
- Institute of Sport Sciences of University of Lausanne (ISSUL), University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Synathlon, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Chevalier
- Institute of Sport Sciences of University of Lausanne (ISSUL), University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Synathlon, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Davide Malatesta
- Institute of Sport Sciences of University of Lausanne (ISSUL), University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Synathlon, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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18
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Eskandari AH, Ghezelbash F, Shirazi-Adl A, Gagnon D, Mecheri H, Larivière C. Validation of an EMG submaximal method to calibrate a novel dynamic EMG-driven musculoskeletal model of the trunk: Effects on model estimates. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2023; 68:102728. [PMID: 36512937 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2022.102728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multijoint EMG-assisted optimization models are reliable tools to predict muscle forces as they account for inter- and intra-individual variations in activation. However, the conventional method of normalizing EMG signals using maximum voluntary contractions (MVCs) is problematic and introduces major limitations. The sub-maximal voluntary contraction (SVC) approaches have been proposed as a remedy, but their performance against the MVC approach needs further validation particularly during dynamic tasks. METHODS To compare model outcomes between MVC and SVC approaches, nineteen healthy subjects performed a dynamic lifting task with two loading conditions. RESULTS Results demonstrated that these two approaches produced highly correlated results with relatively small absolute and relative differences (<10 %) when considering highly-aggregated model outcomes (e.g. compression forces, stability indices). Larger differences were, however, observed in estimated muscle forces. Although some model outcomes, e.g. force of abdominal muscles, were statistically different, their effect sizes remained mostly small (ηG2 ≤ 0.13) and in a few cases moderate (ηG2 ≤ 0.165). CONCLUSION The findings highlight that the MVC calibration approach can reliably be replaced by the SVC approach when the true MVC exertion is not accessible due to pain, kinesiophobia and/or the lack of proper training.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Farshid Ghezelbash
- Division of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada
| | - Aboulfazl Shirazi-Adl
- Division of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Canada
| | - Denis Gagnon
- Department of Physical Activity Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Hakim Mecheri
- Institut de recherche Robert Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail, Montréal, Canada
| | - Christian Larivière
- Institut de recherche Robert Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail, Montréal, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM), Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal (CCSMTL), Canada.
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Variability in Normalization Methods of Surface Electromyography Signals in Eccentric Hamstring Contraction. J Sport Rehabil 2022; 31:1083-1088. [PMID: 35981713 DOI: 10.1123/jsr.2022-0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT In human movement analysis, normalization of a surface electromyography signal is a crucial step; therefore, parameter selection for this procedure must be adequately justified. The aim of this research was to determine the variability of electromyography signals in eccentric hamstring contraction under different normalization parameters. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. METHODS Nine university rugby players (age 21.50 [3.61] y; body mass index 21.50 [4.95]) and no history of recent hamstring injury. Values from maximum voluntary isometric contraction protocol and task related (ie, Nordic hamstring exercise) were used for surface electromyography signal normalization. Intersubject and intrasubject variation coefficients were used for normalization method variability and for signal reproducibility, respectively. RESULTS Intrasubject variation coefficient value indicates acceptable reproducibility of surface electromyography (less than 12%) for all normalization procedures. Lower values of intersubject variation coefficient value were achieved for normalization procedures using task-related values. CONCLUSION Parameters extracted from task execution provided less variability for surface electromyography amplitude normalization in eccentric hamstring muscle contractions.
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SULLIVAN W, HOSICK PA, GARDIN FA, LEIGH S. The kinematic, abdominal and hip flexor muscle electromyographic characteristics of four different trunk flexion exercises. GAZZETTA MEDICA ITALIANA ARCHIVIO PER LE SCIENZE MEDICHE 2022. [DOI: 10.23736/s0393-3660.20.04387-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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Analysis of time series of surface electromyography and accelerometry in dogs. Biomed Signal Process Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2022.103518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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22
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Wang R, An Q, Yang N, Kogami H, Yoshida K, Yamakawa H, Hamada H, Shimoda S, Yamasaki HR, Yokoyama M, Alnajjar F, Hattori N, Takahashi K, Fujii T, Otomune H, Miyai I, Yamashita A, Asama H. Clarify Sit-to-Stand Muscle Synergy and Tension Changes in Subacute Stroke Rehabilitation by Musculoskeletal Modeling. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:785143. [PMID: 35359620 PMCID: PMC8963921 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.785143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-stroke patients exhibit distinct muscle activation electromyography (EMG) features in sit-to-stand (STS) due to motor deficiency. Muscle activation amplitude, related to muscle tension and muscle synergy activation levels, is one of the defining EMG features that reflects post-stroke motor functioning and motor impairment. Although some qualitative findings are available, it is not clear if and how muscle activation amplitude-related biomechanical attributes may quantitatively reflect during subacute stroke rehabilitation. To better enable a longitudinal investigation into a patient's muscle activation changes during rehabilitation or an inter-subject comparison, EMG normalization is usually applied. However, current normalization methods using maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) or within-task peak/mean EMG may not be feasible when MVC cannot be obtained from stroke survivors due to motor paralysis and the subject of comparison is EMG amplitude. Here, focusing on the paretic side, we first propose a novel, joint torque-based normalization method that incorporates musculoskeletal modeling, forward dynamics simulation, and mathematical optimization. Next, upon method validation, we apply it to quantify changes in muscle tension and muscle synergy activation levels in STS motor control units for patients in subacute stroke rehabilitation. The novel method was validated against MVC-normalized EMG data from eight healthy participants, and it retained muscle activation amplitude differences for inter- and intra-subject comparisons. The proposed joint torque-based method was also compared with the common static optimization based on squared muscle activation and showed higher simulation accuracy overall. Serial STS measurements were conducted with four post-stroke patients during their subacute rehabilitation stay (137 ± 22 days) in the hospital. Quantitative results of patients suggest that maximum muscle tension and activation level of muscle synergy temporal patterns may reflect the effectiveness of subacute stroke rehabilitation. A quality comparison between muscle synergies computed with the conventional within-task peak/mean EMG normalization and our proposed method showed that the conventional was prone to activation amplitude overestimation and underestimation. The contributed method and findings help recapitulate and understand the post-stroke motor recovery process, which may facilitate developing more effective rehabilitation strategies for future stroke survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoxi Wang
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Qi An
- Department of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- *Correspondence: Qi An
| | | | - Hiroki Kogami
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunori Yoshida
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yamakawa
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Hamada
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hiroshi R. Yamasaki
- Department of Physical Therapy, Saitama Prefectural University, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Fady Alnajjar
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Aichi, Japan
- College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Noriaki Hattori
- Department of Rehabilitation, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Atsushi Yamashita
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hajime Asama
- Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Measuring Muscle Activity in Sprinters Using T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2022; 17:774-779. [PMID: 35235903 DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2021-0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the level of muscle activity during sprint running using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS Fourteen male sprinters (age 21.2 [4.0] y; height 171.8 [4.2] cm, weight 65.5 [5.3] kg, 100-m personal record 11.01 [0.41] s; mean [SD]) performed 3 sets of three 60-m round-trip sprints. Before and after the round-trip sprints, 3 T magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed to obtain the T2 values of the 14 athletes' lower-extremity muscles. RESULTS After the 60-m round-trip sprints, the T2 value of the gluteus maximus, long head of biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, and gracilis increased significantly. The rate of change in the T2 values before and after the 60-m round-trip sprints was notably higher in the semitendinosus and gluteus maximus than in the other muscles. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate the specific physiological metabolism of the lower-extremity muscles during fast sprinting. There are particularly high levels of muscle activity in the gluteus maximus and semitendinosus during sprint performance.
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Gurchiek RD, Donahue N, Fiorentino NM, McGinnis RS. Wearables-Only Analysis of Muscle and Joint Mechanics: An EMG-Driven Approach. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2022; 69:580-589. [PMID: 34351852 PMCID: PMC8820126 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2021.3102009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Complex sensor arrays prohibit practical deployment of existing wearables-based algorithms for free-living analysis of muscle and joint mechanics. Machine learning techniques have been proposed as a potential solution, however, they are less interpretable and generalizable when compared to physics-based techniques. Herein, we propose a hybrid method utilizing inertial sensor- and electromyography (EMG)-driven simulation of muscle contraction to characterize knee joint and muscle mechanics during walking gait. Machine learning is used only to map a subset of measured muscle excitations to a full set thereby reducing the number of required sensors. We demonstrate the utility of the approach for estimating net knee flexion moment (KFM) as well as individual muscle moment and work during the stance phase of gait across nine unimpaired subjects. Across all subjects, KFM was estimated with 0.91%BW•H RMSE and strong correlations (r = 0.87) compared to ground truth inverse dynamics analysis. Estimates of individual muscle moments were strongly correlated (r = 0.81-0.99) with a reference EMG-driven technique using optical motion capture and a full set of electrodes as were estimates of muscle work (r = 0.88-0.99). Implementation of the proposed technique in the current work included instrumenting only three muscles with surface electrodes (lateral and medial gastrocnemius and vastus medialis) and both the thigh and shank segments with inertial sensors. These sensor locations permit instrumentation of a knee brace/sleeve facilitating a practically deployable mechanism for monitoring muscle and joint mechanics with performance comparable to the current state-of-the-art.
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25
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Vigotsky AD, Halperin I, Trajano GS, Vieira TM. Longing for a Longitudinal Proxy: Acutely Measured Surface EMG Amplitude is not a Validated Predictor of Muscle Hypertrophy. Sports Med 2022; 52:193-199. [PMID: 35006527 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01619-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Surface electromyography amplitudes are commonly measured in acute sports and exercise science studies to make inferences about muscular strength, performance, and hypertrophic adaptations that may result from different exercises or exercise-related variables. Here, we discuss the presumptive logic and assumptions underlying these inferences, focusing on hypertrophic adaptations for simplicity's sake. We present counter-evidence for each of its premises and discuss evidence both for and against the logical conclusion. Given the limited evidence validating the amplitude of surface electromyograms as a predictor of longitudinal hypertrophic adaptations, coupled with its weak mechanistic foundation, we suggest that acute comparative studies that wish to assess stimulus potency be met with scrutiny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Vigotsky
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Statistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Israel Halperin
- School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.,Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Gabriel S Trajano
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Taian M Vieira
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
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26
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Goubault E, Martinez R, Bouffard J, Dowling-Medley J, Begon M, Dal Maso F. Shoulder electromyography-based indicators to assess manifestation of muscle fatigue during laboratory-simulated manual handling task. ERGONOMICS 2022; 65:118-133. [PMID: 34279186 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2021.1958013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Muscle fatigue is a risk factor for developing shoulder musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to identify shoulder electromyographic indicators that are most indicative of muscle fatigue during a laboratory simulated manual handling task. Thirty-two participants were equipped with electromyographic electrodes on 10 shoulder muscles and moved boxes for 45-minutes. The modified rate of perceived exertion (mRPE) was assessed every 5-minutes and multivariate linear regressions were performed between myoelectric manifestation of fatigue (MMF) and the mRPE scores. During a manual handling task representative of industry working conditions, spectral entropy, median frequency, and mobility were the electromyographic indicators that explained the largest percentage of the mRPE. Overall, the deltoids, biceps and upper trapezius were the muscles that most often showed significant changes over time in their electromyographic indicators. The combination of these three indicators may improve the accuracy for the assessment of MMF during manual handling. Practitioner Summary: To date, muscle fatigue has primarily been assessed during tasks done to exhaustion, which are not representative of typical working conditions. During a manual handling task representative of industry working conditions, EMG-derived spectral entropy, and median frequency, both extracted from time-frequency analysis, and mobility extracted from time domain, were the best indicators of the manifestation of muscle fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Goubault
- Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Montréal, Laval, Canada
| | - Romain Martinez
- Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Montréal, Laval, Canada
| | - Jason Bouffard
- Département de Kinésiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS), Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Jennifer Dowling-Medley
- Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Montréal, Laval, Canada
| | - Mickaël Begon
- Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Montréal, Laval, Canada
- Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Fabien Dal Maso
- Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des sciences de l'activité physique, Université de Montréal, Laval, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage
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27
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Evaluation of Lower Limb Muscle Electromyographic Activity during 400 m Indoor Sprinting among Elite Female Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413177. [PMID: 34948784 PMCID: PMC8701744 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to analyze changes in normalized surface electromyography (sEMG) signals for the gastrocnemius medialis, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, tibialis anterior, and vastus lateralis muscles occurring during a 400 m indoor sprint between subsequent curved sections of the track. Ten well-trained female sprinters (age: 21 ± 4 years; body mass: 47 ± 5 kg; body height: 161 ± 7 cm; 400 m personal best: 52.4 ± 1.1 s) performed an all-out 400 m indoor sprint. Normalized sEMG signals were recorded bilaterally from the selected lower limb muscles. The two-way ANOVA (curve × side) revealed no statistically significant interaction. However, the main effect analysis showed that normalized sEMG signals significantly increased in subsequent curves run for all the studied muscles: gastrocnemius medialis (p = 0.003), biceps femoris (p < 0.0001), gluteus maximus (p = 0.044), tibialis anterior (p = 0.001), and vastus lateralis (p = 0.023), but differences between limbs were significant only for the gastrocnemius medialis (p = 0.012). The results suggest that the normalized sEMG signals for the lower limb muscles increased in successive curves during the 400 m indoor sprint. Moreover, the gastrocnemius medialis of the inner leg is highly activated while running curves; therefore, it should be properly prepared for high demands, and attention should be paid to the possibility of the occurrence of a negative adaptation, such as asymmetries.
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Formento E, Botros P, Carmena JM. Skilled independent control of individual motor units via a non-invasive neuromuscular-machine interface. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34727532 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac35ac] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have the potential to augment human functions and restore independence in people with disabilities, yet a compromise between non-invasiveness and performance limits their relevance.Approach.Here, we hypothesized that a non-invasive neuromuscular-machine interface providing real-time neurofeedback of individual motor units within a muscle could enable independent motor unit control to an extent suitable for high-performance BMI applications.Main results.Over 6 days of training, eight participants progressively learned to skillfully and independently control three biceps brachii motor units to complete a 2D center-out task. We show that neurofeedback enabled motor unit activity that largely violated recruitment constraints observed during ramp-and-hold isometric contractions thought to limit individual motor unit controllability. Finally, participants demonstrated the suitability of individual motor units for powering general applications through a spelling task.Significance.These results illustrate the flexibility of the sensorimotor system and highlight individual motor units as a promising source of control for BMI applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Formento
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
| | - Paul Botros
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
| | - Jose M Carmena
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
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Dos Anjos FV, Ghislieri M, Cerone GL, Pinto TP, Gazzoni M. Changes in the distribution of muscle activity when using a passive trunk exoskeleton depend on the type of working task: A high-density surface EMG study. J Biomech 2021; 130:110846. [PMID: 34749163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Exoskeleton effectiveness in reducing muscle efforts has been usually assessed from surface electromyograms (EMGs) collected locally. It has been demonstrated, however, muscle activity redistributes within the low back muscles during static and dynamic contractions, suggesting the need of detecting surface EMGs from a large muscle region to reliably investigate changes in global muscle activation. This study used high-density surface EMG to assess the effects of a passive trunk exoskeleton on the distribution of low back muscles' activity during different working tasks. Ten, male volunteers performed a static and a dynamic task with and without the exoskeleton. Multiple EMGs were sampled bilaterally from the lumbar erector spinae muscles while the hip and knee angles were measured unilaterally. Key results revealed for the static task exoskeleton led to a decrease in the average root mean square (RMS) amplitude (∼10%) concomitantly with a stable mean frequency and a redistribution of muscle activity (∼0.5 cm) in the caudal direction toward the end of the task. For the dynamic task, the exoskeleton reduced the RMS amplitude (∼5%) at the beginning of the task and the variability in the muscle activity distribution during the task. Moreover, a reduced range of motion in the lower limb was observed when using the exoskeleton during the dynamic task. Current results support the notion the passive exoskeleton has the potential to alleviate muscular loading at low back level especially for the static task.
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Affiliation(s)
- F V Dos Anjos
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Postgraduate Program of Rehabilitation Sciences, Centro Universitário Augusto Motta (UNISUAM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - M Ghislieri
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - G L Cerone
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - T P Pinto
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Gazzoni
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
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30
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Giustetto A, Vieira Dos Anjos F, Gallo F, Monferino R, Cerone GL, Di Pardo M, Gazzoni M, Micheletti Cremasco M. Investigating the effect of a passive trunk exoskeleton on local discomfort, perceived effort and spatial distribution of back muscles activity. ERGONOMICS 2021; 64:1379-1392. [PMID: 33970812 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2021.1928297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at determining the effect of a passive exoskeleton on local perceived discomfort, perceived effort and low back muscles' activity. Thirteen volunteers performed two simulated working tasks with and without the exoskeleton. In the static task, the exoskeleton decreased the lumbar perceived discomfort, the perceived effort and the level of low back muscles' activity (∼10%) while increasing discomfort in the chest and feet. The percent decrease in EMG amplitude was correlated with the percent increase in perceived effort with exoskeleton. For the dynamic task, the exoskeleton increased the discomfort in the chest and decreased the level of back muscle activity (∼5%). Current findings suggest exoskeleton is effective in reducing the back load while increasing the perceived discomfort at non-targeted body regions in both working tasks. The concurrent increase of discomfort in non-targeted areas probably led to a higher perceived effort despite the reduction of low back muscle activity. Practitioner summary: This study provided insights into exoskeleton effects on local discomfort, perceived effort and muscle activity. Overall, the potential benefits of passive exoskeleton should be considered alongside its adverse effects on the non-targeted body regions that can lead to an increase of perceived effort despite the reduction of back muscle activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Giustetto
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, ICxT Innovation Center, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Fabio Vieira Dos Anjos
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Francesca Gallo
- Centro Ricerche Fiat - WCM Research and Innovation, Orbassano, Italy
| | | | - Giacinto Luigi Cerone
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Massimo Di Pardo
- Centro Ricerche Fiat - WCM Research and Innovation, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Marco Gazzoni
- Laboratory for Engineering of the Neuromuscular System (LISiN), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications and PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
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31
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Reece TM, Arnold CE, Herda TJ. An examination of motor unit firing rates during steady torque of maximal efforts with either an explosive or slower rate of torque development. Exp Physiol 2021; 106:2517-2530. [PMID: 34676609 DOI: 10.1113/ep089808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? The aim was to explore agonist and antagonist motor unit firing rates during maximal efforts performed with either an explosive or a slower rate of torque development. What is the main finding and its importance? The antagonist muscle presented a motor unit firing rate relationship similar to the agonist muscle. Additionally, the motor units of both muscles exhibited higher firing rates during explosive maximal contractions than during maximal contractions performed at a slower rate of torque development. These results could prove useful to future research analysing the effects of age, disease, resistance training and/or fatigue-related alterations to motor unit firing rates. ABSTRACT The primary purpose of the present study was to examine motor unit (MU) firing rates in agonist and antagonist muscles during periods of steady, maximal efforts using explosive and slower rates of torque development. A secondary purpose was to analyse the MU firing rate versus action potential amplitude relationships of the agonist and antagonist muscles during maximal efforts. Thirteen subjects (mean ± SD; age, 21.2 ± 3.6 years; mass 81.1 ± 21.3 kg; and stature, 177.1±9.9 cm) performed two maximal isometric trapezoid muscle actions of the elbow flexors that included either an explosive or a slower, linearly increasing rate (ramp) of torque development. Surface EMG signals of the biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles were collected and decomposed into their constituent MU action potential trains. The MU firing rate versus action potential amplitude relationships of the BB (agonist) and TB (antagonist) muscles were analysed. Moderate to strong relationships (|r| ≥ 0.65) were present for the explosive and ramp contractions in the agonist and antagonist muscles. Firing rates of smaller and larger MUs were higher during the explosive [mean ± SD; agonist = 18.1 ± 6.9 pulses per second (pps), antagonist = 22.0±3.9 pps] than the ramp (agonist = 14.0 ± 5.1 pps, antagonist = 18.3 ± 4.4 pps) contractions for the agonist (P = 0.013) and antagonist muscles (P = 0.007). The antagonist muscle exhibits a similar MU firing rate versus action potential amplitude relationship to the agonist muscle at maximal efforts. Future research should investigate the effects of short-term resistance training on antagonist firing rates and the involvement of peripheral feedback on firing rates during maximal efforts performed at various rates of torque development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner M Reece
- Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Catherine E Arnold
- Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Trent J Herda
- Neuromechanics Laboratory, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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32
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Soo J, Racinais S, Bishop DJ, Girard O. Effects of mild heat exposure on fatigue responses during two sets of repeated sprints matched for initial mechanical output. J Sci Med Sport 2021; 25:249-254. [PMID: 34674946 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We examined whether mild heat exposure alters performance, perceptual responses and neural drive to the quadriceps during two sets of repeated sprints matched for initial mechanical output. DESIGN Repeated measures. METHODS Twelve males performed 10 × 6-s sprints (recovery = 30 s), followed 6 min later by 5 × 6-s sprints (recovery = 30 s) in either COOL (24 °C/30% rH) or HOT (35 °C/40% rH) conditions. Subsequently, two sets of five consecutive sprints matched for initial mechanical output were compared. RESULTS On the basis of peak power, performance in sprint 2 was not significantly different to sprint 11 in both conditions (p ≥ 0.32). Average peak power across the five sprints compared (i.e., sprints 2-6 and 11-15, respectively) was 2.6 ± 3.4% higher in HOT compared to COOL (p = 0.025). Electromyographic activity (root mean square value) of the vastus lateralis muscle remained unchanged. Core (sprints 2-6: 37.85 ± 0.21 vs. 37.53 ± 0.19 °C, sprints 11-15: 38.26 ± 0.33 vs. 37.89 ± 0.24 °C; p < 0.001) and skin (sprints 2-6: 36.21 ± 0.29 vs. 30.72 ± 0.52 °C, sprints 11-15: 36.37 ± 0.28 vs. 30.99 ± 0.55 °C; p < 0.001) temperatures were overall higher in HOT compared to COOL. Heart rate, thermal sensation and comfort were significantly elevated in HOT compared to COOL (p ≤ 0.02), irrespective of sprint number. CONCLUSIONS When two sets of repeated sprints were matched for initial mechanical output, performance was enhanced with mild heat exposure. This occurred despite higher thermal, cardiovascular, and perceptual strain, and without alterations in quadriceps neural drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacky Soo
- Murdoch Applied Sport Science Laboratory, Murdoch University, Australia
| | - Sébastien Racinais
- Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Qatar
| | - David J Bishop
- Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living and School of Sport and Exercise Science, Australia
| | - Olivier Girard
- Research and Scientific Support, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Qatar; School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science), The University of Western Australia, Australia.
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33
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Zero AM, Rice CL. Post-activation potentiation induced by concentric contractions at three speeds in humans. Exp Physiol 2021; 106:2489-2501. [PMID: 34569107 DOI: 10.1113/ep089613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? Is the degree of in human muscle affected by different shortening velocities, or contraction type? What are the main findings and their importance? The PAP response following maximal concentric contractions was independent of velocity. Slow and moderate velocity maximal contractions produced PAP responses like those from maximal isometric contractions when matched for contraction duration. Despite contraction type differences in cross-bridge and Ca2+ kinetics, maximal contractions, regardless of contraction modality, likely generate sufficient Ca2+ to induce maximal PAP. ABSTRACT Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is the acute enhancement of contractile properties following a brief (<10 s) high-intensity contraction. Compared with isometric contractions, little is known about the PAP response induced by concentric conditioning contractions (CCs) and the effect of velocity. In the dorsiflexors of 11 participants, twitch responses were measured following 5 s of maximal effort concentric CCs at each of 10, 20 and 50°/s. Concentric PAP responses were compared to a maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MVC) matched for contraction time. Additionally, concentric CCs were compared to isometric CCs matched for mean torque, contraction area and time. The PAP response following maximal concentric CCs was independent of velocity and there was no difference in the PAP response between concentric CCs and an isometric MVC. During maximal contractions, regardless of contraction modality, there is likely sufficient Ca2+ to induce a similar full PAP response, and thus there was no difference between speeds or contraction type. Following concentric CCs there was a significantly larger peak twitch torque than following their isometric torque matches (49-58%), and faster maximal rates of torque development at the three speeds (62-77%). However, these responses are likely related to greater EMG in concentric contractions, 125-129% of isometric maximum compared to 38-54%, and not to contraction modality per se. Thus, PAP responses following maximal concentric CCs are not affected by velocity and responses are not different from an isometric MVC. This indicates maximal CCs of 5 s produce a maximal PAP response independent of contraction type (isometric vs. concentric) or shortening velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M Zero
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Charles L Rice
- School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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34
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Lässing J, Pökel C, Lingener L, Falz R, Kwast S, Schulze A, Busse M. The Influence of Customized Mouthguards on the Muscular Activity of the Masticatory Muscles at Maximum Bite and Motor Performance During Static and Dynamic Exercises. SPORTS MEDICINE-OPEN 2021; 7:64. [PMID: 34477985 PMCID: PMC8417176 DOI: 10.1186/s40798-021-00354-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background Some studies have suggested that a mouthguard is a performance-enhancing device due to a remote voluntary contraction. The extent to which a mouthguard can induce this phenomenon, e.g., by potentially increasing biting, has not been clarified. This study’s aim was to investigate the muscular activity of the maxillary and peripheral musculature and motor performance during a rest and exercise test. Methods Our study comprised 12 active, male, professional young handball players (age 18.83 ± 0.39 years). Their performance, electromyographic (EMG) muscle activity (Σ), and lateral deviation (Δ) of the masticatory and peripheral musculature were measured during rest in a maximum bite force measurement, one-legged stand, a kettlebell swing exercise and a jump test while wearing a customized mouthguard (CMG) or not wearing one (Co). Results Maximum bite force measurements did not differ significantly in their mean values of muscle activity (Σ) for the masseter and temporalis muscles (Co 647.6 ± 212.8 µV vs. CMG 724.3 ± 257.1 µV p = 0.08) (Co 457.2 ± 135.5 µV vs. CMG 426.6 ± 169.3 µV p = 0.38) with versus without CMG. We found no differences in the mean activation values during a one-legged stand, the kettlebell swing, and jump test (Σ) in any of the muscles tested. Lateral deviations (Δ) wearing a CMG were significantly less in the erector spinae during the kettlebell swing (Co 5.33 ± 3.4 µV vs. CMG 2.53 ± 1.8 µV p = 0.01) and countermovement jump (Co 37.90 ± 30.6 µV vs. CMG 17.83 ± 22.3 µV p = 0.03) compared to the performance without a CMG. Jump height, rotation moment, and balance were unchanged with versus without CMG. Conclusion Our results at rest and during specific motor stress show no differences with or without a CMG. The improved peripheral muscular balance while wearing a CMG indicates improved muscular stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Lässing
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Leipzig, Marschnerstr. 29, 04109, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Christoph Pökel
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Leipzig, Marschnerstr. 29, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Roberto Falz
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Leipzig, Marschnerstr. 29, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan Kwast
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Leipzig, Marschnerstr. 29, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antina Schulze
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Leipzig, Marschnerstr. 29, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Busse
- Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Leipzig, Marschnerstr. 29, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
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Ramirez-Campillo R, Garcia-Pinillos F, Chaabene H, Moran J, Behm DG, Granacher U. Effects of Plyometric Jump Training on Electromyographic Activity and Its Relationship to Strength and Jump Performance in Healthy Trained and Untrained Populations: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Strength Cond Res 2021; 35:2053-2065. [PMID: 34027912 DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000004056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Ramirez-Campillo, R, Garcia-Pinillos, F, Chaabene, H, Moran, J, Behm, DG, and Granacher, U. Effects of plyometric jump training on electromyographic activity and its relationship to strength and jump performance in healthy trained and untrained populations: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Strength Cond Res 35(7): 2053-2065, 2021-This systematic review analyzed the effects of plyometric jump training (PJT) on muscle activation assessed with surface electromyography during the performance of strength and jumping tasks in healthy populations across the lifespan. A systematic literature search was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. Only randomized controlled studies were eligible to be included in this study. Our search identified 17 studies comprising 23 experimental groups and 266 subjects aged 13-73 years, which were eligible for inclusion. The included studies achieved a median Physiotherapy Evidence Database score of 6. No injuries were reported among the included studies. Significant PJT-related improvements were reported in 7 of 10 studies and in 6 of 10 studies for measures of muscle activation during the performance of strength and jumping tasks, respectively. Moreover, a secondary correlational analysis showed significant positive relationships (r = 0.86; p = 0.012; r2 = 0.74) between changes in muscle activation and changes in jump performance. However, from the total number (n = 287) of muscle activation response variables analyzed for strength and jumping tasks, ∼80% (n = 226) were reported as nonsignificant when compared with a control condition. In conclusion, PJT may improve muscle activation during the performance of strength and jumping tasks. However, conflicting results were observed probably arising from (a) studies that incorporated a large number of outcomes with reduced sensitivity to PJT, (b) methodological limitations associated to muscle activation measurement during strength and jumping tasks, and (c) limitations associated with PJT prescription. Future studies in this field should strive to solve these methodological shortcomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Universidad de Los Lagos, Santiagoo, Chile
- Exercise Physiology Research Center,. Science Faculty,. Major university,. Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe Garcia-Pinillos
- Department of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
- Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Helmi Chaabene
- Division of Training and Movement Sciences, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Sports Science, High Institute of Sports and Physical Education, Kef, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Jason Moran
- School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom; and
| | - David G Behm
- School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Urs Granacher
- Division of Training and Movement Sciences, Research Focus Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Lockyer EJ, Compton CT, Forman DA, Pearcey GE, Button DC, Power KE. Moving forward: methodological considerations for assessing corticospinal excitability during rhythmic motor output in humans. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:181-194. [PMID: 34133230 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00027.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess the excitability of the central nervous system to further understand the neural control of human movement is expansive. The majority of the work performed to-date has assessed corticospinal excitability either at rest or during relatively simple isometric contractions. The results from this work are not easily extrapolated to rhythmic, dynamic motor outputs, given that corticospinal excitability is task-, phase-, intensity-, direction-, and muscle-dependent (Power KE, Lockyer EJ, Forman DA, Button DC. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 43: 1176-1185, 2018). Assessing corticospinal excitability during rhythmic motor output, however, involves technical challenges that are to be overcome, or at the minimum considered, when attempting to design experiments and interpret the physiological relevance of the results. The purpose of this narrative review is to highlight the research examining corticospinal excitability during a rhythmic motor output and, importantly, to provide recommendations regarding the many factors that must be considered when designing and interpreting findings from studies that involve limb movement. To do so, the majority of work described herein refers to work performed using arm cycling (arm pedaling or arm cranking) as a model of a rhythmic motor output used to examine the neural control of human locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan J Lockyer
- Human Neurophysiology Lab, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Chris T Compton
- Human Neurophysiology Lab, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Davis A Forman
- Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gregory E Pearcey
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.,Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Duane C Button
- Human Neurophysiology Lab, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Kevin E Power
- Human Neurophysiology Lab, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
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Rodríguez-Rosell D, Yáñez-García JM, Mora-Custodio R, Sánchez-Medina L, Ribas-Serna J, González-Badillo JJ. Effect of velocity loss during squat training on neuromuscular performance. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2021; 31:1621-1635. [PMID: 33829679 DOI: 10.1111/sms.13967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the effects of three resistance training (RT) programs differing in the magnitude of velocity loss (VL) allowed in each exercise set: 10%, 30%, or 45% on changes in strength, vertical jump, sprint performance, and EMG variables. Thirty-three young men were randomly assigned into three experimental groups (VL10%, VL30%, and VL45%; n = 11 each) that performed a velocity-based RT program for 8 weeks using only the full squat exercise (SQ). Training load (55-70% 1RM), frequency (2 sessions/week), number of sets (3), and inter-set recovery (4 min) were identical for all groups. Running sprint (20 m), countermovement jump (CMJ), 1RM, muscle endurance, and EMG during SQ were assessed pre- and post-training. All groups showed significant (VL10%: 6.4-58.6%; VL30%: 4.5-66.2%; VL45%: 1.8-52.1%; p < 0.05-0.001) improvements in muscle strength and muscle endurance. However, a significant group × time interaction (p < 0.05) was observed in CMJ, with VL10% showing greater increments (11.9%) than VL30% and VL45%. In addition, VL10% resulted in greater percent change in sprint performance than the other two groups (VL10%: -2.4%; VL30%: -1.8%; and VL45%: -0.5%). No significant changes in EMG variables were observed for any group. RT with loads of 55-70% 1RM characterized by a low-velocity loss (VL10%) provides a very effective and efficient training stimulus since it yields similar strength gains and greater improvements in sports-related neuromuscular performance (jump and sprint) compared to training with higher velocity losses (VL30%, VL45%). These findings indicate that the magnitude of VL reached in each exercise set considerably influences the observed training adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rodríguez-Rosell
- Physical Performance & Sports Research Center, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.,Department of Sport and Computer Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Yáñez-García
- Physical Performance & Sports Research Center, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.,Department of Sport and Computer Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Ricardo Mora-Custodio
- Physical Performance & Sports Research Center, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.,Department of Sport and Computer Science, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
| | - Luis Sánchez-Medina
- Center for Studies, Research and Sports Medicine, Instituto Navarro del Deporte (IND), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Juan Ribas-Serna
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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38
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Oliveira AS, Negro F. Neural control of matched motor units during muscle shortening and lengthening at increasing velocities. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2021; 130:1798-1813. [PMID: 33955258 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00043.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Modulation of movement velocity is necessary during daily life tasks, work, and sports activities. However, assessing motor unit behavior during muscle shortening and lengthening at different velocities is challenging. High-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) is an established method to identify and track motor unit behavior in isometric contractions. Therefore, we used this methodology to unravel the behavior of the same motor units in dynamic contractions at low contraction velocities. Velocity-related changes in tibialis anterior motor unit behavior during concentric and eccentric contractions at 10% and 25% maximum voluntary isometric contraction were assessed by decomposing HD-sEMG signals recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle of eleven healthy participants at 5°/s, 10°/s, and 20°/s. Motor units extracted from the dynamic contractions were tracked across different velocities at the same load levels. On average, 14 motor units/participant were matched across different velocities, showing specific changes in discharge rate modulation. Specifically, increased velocity led to an increased rate of change in discharge rate (e.g., discharge rate slope, P = 0.025), recruitment and derecruitment discharge rates (P = 0.003 and P = 0.001), and decreased recruitment angles (P = 0.0001). Surprisingly, the application of the motor unit extraction filters calculated from 20°/s onto the recordings at 5°/s and 10°/s revealed that >92% of motor units recruited at the highest velocity were active on both lower velocities, indicating no additional recruitment of motor units. Our results suggest that motor unit rate coding rather than recruitment is responsible for controlling muscle shortening and lengthening contractions at increasing velocities against a constant load.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The control of movement velocity is accomplished by the modulation of the neural drive to muscle and its variation over time. In this study, we tracked motor units decomposed from HD-sEMG across shortening and lengthening contractions at increasing velocities in two submaximal load levels. We demonstrate that concentric and eccentric contractions of the tibialis anterior muscle at slow velocities are achieved by specific motor unit rate coding strategies rather than distinct recruitment schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Negro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Goubault E, Verdugo F, Pelletier J, Traube C, Begon M, Dal Maso F. Exhausting repetitive piano tasks lead to local forearm manifestation of muscle fatigue and negatively affect musical parameters. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8117. [PMID: 33854088 PMCID: PMC8047012 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87403-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Muscle fatigue is considered as a risk factor for developing playing-related muscular disorders among professional pianists and could affect musical performance. This study investigated in 50 pianists the effect of fatiguing repetitive piano sequences on the development of forearm muscle fatigue and on piano performance parameters. Results showed signs of myoelectric manifestation of fatigue in the 42-electromyographic bipolar electrodes positioned on the forearm to record finger and wrist flexor and extensor muscles, through a significant non-constant decrease of instantaneous median frequency during two repetitive Digital (right-hand 16-tones sequence) and Chord (right-hand chords sequence) excerpts, with extensor muscles showing greater signs of fatigue than flexor muscles. In addition, muscle fatigue negatively affected key velocity, a central feature of piano sound intensity, in both Digital and Chord excerpts, and note-events, a fundamental aspect of musicians' performance parameter, in the Chord excerpt only. This result highlights that muscle fatigue may alter differently pianists' musical performance according to the characteristics of the piece played.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Goubault
- grid.14848.310000 0001 2292 3357Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de l’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 1700 Rue Jacques-Tétreault, Laval, QC Canada
| | - Felipe Verdugo
- grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Input Devices and Music Interaction Laboratory, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada ,grid.267180.a0000 0001 2168 0285EXPRESSION Team, Université Bretagne-Sud, Vannes, France
| | - Justine Pelletier
- grid.38678.320000 0001 2181 0211Laboratoire Arts vivants et interdisciplinarité, Département de danse, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Caroline Traube
- grid.14848.310000 0001 2292 3357Laboratoire de recherche sur le geste musicien, Faculté de musique, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Mickaël Begon
- grid.14848.310000 0001 2292 3357Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de l’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 1700 Rue Jacques-Tétreault, Laval, QC Canada ,grid.411418.90000 0001 2173 6322Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Fabien Dal Maso
- grid.14848.310000 0001 2292 3357Laboratoire de Simulation et Modélisation du Mouvement, École de Kinésiologie et des Sciences de l’activité Physique, Université de Montréal, 1700 Rue Jacques-Tétreault, Laval, QC Canada ,Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l’apprentissage, Montréal, QC Canada
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40
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Umehara J, Yagi M, Hirono T, Ueda Y, Ichihashi N. Quantification of muscle coordination underlying basic shoulder movements using muscle synergy extraction. J Biomech 2021; 120:110358. [PMID: 33743396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Numerous muscles around the shoulder joint are required to work in a coordinated manner, even when a basic shoulder movement is executed. Muscle synergy can be utilized as an index to determine muscle coordination. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the muscle coordination among different shoulder muscles underlying basic shoulder movements based on muscle synergy. Thirteen men performed 14 multiplanar shoulder movements; five movements were associated with elevation and lowering, while five were associated with horizontal abduction and adduction. The four additional movements were simple rotations at different positions. Muscle activity was measured from 12 muscle portions using surface electromyography. Using the dimensionality reduction technique, synergies were extracted first for each movement separately ("separate" synergies), and then for the global dataset (containing all movements; "global" synergies). The least number that provided 90% of the variance accounted for was selected as the optimal number of synergies. For each subject, approximately two separate synergies and approximately six global synergies with small residual values were extracted from the separate and global electromyography datasets, respectively. Specific patterns of these muscle synergies in each task were observed during each movement. In the cross-validation method, six global synergies explained 88.0 ± 1.3% of the global dataset. These findings indicate that muscle activities underlying basic shoulder movements are expressed as six units, and these units could be proxies for shoulder muscle coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Umehara
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Masahide Yagi
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hirono
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Ueda
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, Nobuhara Hospital, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Noriaki Ichihashi
- Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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41
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Andersen V, Pedersen H, Fimland MS, Shaw M, Solstad TEJ, Stien N, Cumming KT, Saeterbakken AH. Comparison of Muscle Activity in Three Single-Joint, Hip Extension Exercises in Resistance-Trained Women. JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCE AND MEDICINE 2021; 20:181-187. [PMID: 33948095 DOI: 10.52082/jssm.2021.181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to compare neuromuscular activation in the gluteus maximus, the biceps femoris and the erector spinae from the Romanian deadlift, the 45-degree Roman chair back extension and the seated machine back extension. Fifteen resistance-trained females performed three repetitions with 6-RM loading in all exercises in a randomized and counterbalanced order. The activation in the whole movement as well as its lower and upper parts were analyzed. The results showed that the Romanian deadlift and the Roman chair back extension activated the gluteus maximus more than the seated machine back extension (94-140%, p < 0.01). For the biceps femoris the Roman chair elicited higher activation compared to both the Romanian deadlift and the seated machine back extension (71-174%). Further, the Romanian deadlift activated the biceps femoris more compared to the seated machine back extension (61%, p < 0.01). The analyses of the different parts of the movement showed that the Roman chair produced higher levels of activation in the upper part for both the gluteus maximus and the biceps femoris, compared to the other exercises. There were no differences in activation of the erector spinae between the three exercises (p = 1.00). In conclusion, both the Roman deadlift and the Roman chair back extension would be preferable to the seated machine back extension in regards to gluteus maximus activation. The Roman chair was superior in activating the biceps femoris compared to the two other exercises. All three exercises are appropriate selections for activating the lower back muscles. For overall lower limb activation, the Roman chair was the best exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidar Andersen
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
| | - Helene Pedersen
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
| | - Marius Steiro Fimland
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Unicare Helsefort Rehabilitation Centre, Rissa, Norway
| | - Matthew Shaw
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
| | - Tom Erik Jorung Solstad
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
| | - Nicolay Stien
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
| | | | - Atle Hole Saeterbakken
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
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42
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Bailly F, Ceglia A, Michaud B, Rouleau DM, Begon M. Real-Time and Dynamically Consistent Estimation of Muscle Forces Using a Moving Horizon EMG-Marker Tracking Algorithm-Application to Upper Limb Biomechanics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:642742. [PMID: 33681174 PMCID: PMC7928053 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.642742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Real-time biofeedback of muscle forces should help clinicians adapt their movement recommendations. Because these forces cannot directly be measured, researchers have developed numerical models and methods informed by electromyography (EMG) and body kinematics to estimate them. Among these methods, static optimization is the most computationally efficient and widely used. However, it suffers from limitation, namely: unrealistic joint torques computation, non-physiological muscle forces estimates and inconsistent for motions inducing co-contraction. Forward approaches, relying on numerical optimal control, address some of these issues, providing dynamically consistent estimates of muscle forces. However, they result in a high computational cost increase, apparently disqualifying them for real-time applications. However, this computational cost can be reduced by combining the implementation of a moving horizon estimation (MHE) and advanced optimization tools. Our objective was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of muscle forces estimation in real-time, using a MHE. To this end, a 4-DoFs arm actuated by 19 Hill-type muscle lines of action was modeled for simulating a set of reference motions, with corresponding EMG signals and markers positions. Excitation- and activation-driven models were tested to assess the effects of model complexity. Four levels of co-contraction, EMG noise and marker noise were simulated, to run the estimator under 64 different conditions, 30 times each. The MHE problem was implemented with three cost functions: EMG-markers tracking (high and low weight on markers) and marker-tracking with least-squared muscle excitations. For the excitation-driven model, a 7-frame MHE was selected as it allowed the estimator to run at 24 Hz (faster than biofeedback standard) while ensuring the lowest RMSE on estimates in noiseless conditions. This corresponds to a 3,500-fold speed improvement in comparison to state-of-the-art equivalent approaches. When adding experimental-like noise to the reference data, estimation error on muscle forces ranged from 1 to 30 N when tracking EMG signals and from 8 to 50 N (highly impacted by the co-contraction level) when muscle excitations were minimized. Statistical analysis was conducted to report significant effects of the problem conditions on the estimates. To conclude, the presented MHE implementation proved to be promising for real-time muscle forces estimation in experimental-like noise conditions, such as in biofeedback applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Bailly
- Laboratoire de Simulation et de Modélisation du Mouvement, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Amedeo Ceglia
- Laboratoire de Simulation et de Modélisation du Mouvement, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Benjamin Michaud
- Laboratoire de Simulation et de Modélisation du Mouvement, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique M Rouleau
- Department of Surgery, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, CIUSSS Nord-de-L'île-de-Montréal, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal (HSCM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mickael Begon
- Laboratoire de Simulation et de Modélisation du Mouvement, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Laval, QC, Canada
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Madden KE, Djurdjanovic D, Deshpande AD. Using a System-Based Monitoring Paradigm to Assess Fatigue during Submaximal Static Exercise of the Elbow Extensor Muscles. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:1024. [PMID: 33546155 PMCID: PMC7913181 DOI: 10.3390/s21041024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Current methods for evaluating fatigue separately assess intramuscular changes in individual muscles from corresponding alterations in movement output. The purpose of this study is to investigate if a system-based monitoring paradigm, which quantifies how the dynamic relationship between the activity from multiple muscles and force changes over time, produces a viable metric for assessing fatigue. Improvements made to the paradigm to facilitate online fatigue assessment are also discussed. Eight participants performed a static elbow extension task until exhaustion, while surface electromyography (sEMG) and force data were recorded. A dynamic time-series model mapped instantaneous features extracted from sEMG signals of multiple synergistic muscles to extension force. A metric, called the Freshness Similarity Index (FSI), was calculated using statistical analysis of modeling errors to reveal time-dependent changes in the dynamic model indicative of performance degradation. The FSI revealed strong, significant within-individual associations with two well-accepted measures of fatigue, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force (rrm=-0.86) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) (rrm=0.87), substantiating the viability of a system-based monitoring paradigm for assessing fatigue. These findings provide the first direct and quantitative link between a system-based performance degradation metric and traditional measures of fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ashish D. Deshpande
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (K.E.M.); (D.D.)
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44
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A low-cost transradial prosthesis controlled by the intention of muscular contraction. Phys Eng Sci Med 2021; 44:229-241. [PMID: 33469856 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-021-00972-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Persons with upper-limb amputations face severe problems due to a reduction in their ability to perform the activities of daily living. The prosthesis controlled by electromyography (EMG) or other signals from sensors, switches, accelerometers, etc., can somewhat regain the lost capability of such individuals. However, there are several issues with these prostheses, such as expensive cost, limited functionality, unnatural control, slow operating speed, complexity, heavyweight, large size, etc. This paper proposes an affordable transradial prosthesis, controlled by the muscular contractions from user intention. A surface EMG sensor was explicitly fabricated for capturing the muscle contraction information from the residual forearm of subjects with amputation. An under actuated 3D printed hand was developed with a prosthetic socket assembly to attach the remaining upper-limb of such subjects. The hand integrates an intuitive closed-loop control system that receives reference input from the designed sensor and feedback input from a force sensor installed at the thumb tip. The performance of the EMG sensor was compared with that of a traditional sensor in detecting muscle contractions from the subjects. The designed sensor showed a good correlation (r > 0.93) and a better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) feature to the conventional sensor. Further, a successful trial of the developed hand prosthesis was made on five different subjects with transradial amputation. The users wearing the hand prototype were able to perform faster and delicate grasping of various objects. The implemented control system allowed the prosthesis users to control the grasp force of hand fingers with their intention of muscular contractions.
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45
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The Reliability of Pelvic Floor Muscle Bioelectrical Activity (sEMG) Assessment Using a Multi-Activity Measurement Protocol in Young Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18020765. [PMID: 33477461 PMCID: PMC7830119 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the between-trial and between-day reliability of the Glazer protocol and our multi-activity surface electromyography (sEMG) measurement protocol for pelvic floor muscle (PFM) evaluation. The bioelectrical activity of PFM was collected using an endovaginal electrode in 30 young, Caucasian, nulliparous women (age 22–27, 168.6 ± 5.1 cm, 57.1 ± 11.8 kg). The between-trial and between-day reliability of the original Glazer protocol and the new multi-activity sEMG protocol were assessed during the following phases: pre-baseline rest, phasic (flick) contractions, tonic contractions, endurance contraction, and post-baseline rest. The Glazer protocol was characterized by poor and moderate measurement reliability. The time-domain parameters for the rise and fall of the signal amplitude and median frequency showed poor between-trial and between-day reliability. The mean and peak amplitudes indicated mainly good between-trial and moderate between-days reliability. Our protocol showed moderate to excellent reliability of both time-domain and quantitative parameters of muscle recruitment. In our protocol, the frequency-domain parameters describing muscle fatigue demonstrated much higher reliability than in the case of the Glazer protocol. The most important information obtained in this study was the significant improvement of diagnostic validity in PFM bioelectrical activity evaluation. The higher reliability of our sEMG protocol compared to original Glazer protocol allowed us to suggest that protocol modifications and changes in sEMG signal processing methods were effective in the improvement of PFM assessment quality. The new parameters calculated from the sEMG signal proposed in our sEMG protocol allowed us to obtain additional clinically important information about PFM dysfunctions regarding specific deficits of muscle contraction such as decrease in muscle strength; endurance or coordination related to, e.g., stress urinary incontinence; or pelvic floor muscle imbalance after childbirth.
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Spatial distribution of lumbar erector spinae muscle activity in individuals with and without chronic low back pain during a dynamic isokinetic fatiguing task. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2021; 81:105214. [PMID: 33189454 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2020.105214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) commonly present with increased trunk muscle fatigability; typically assessed as reduced time to task failure during non-functional isometric contractions. Less is known about the specific neuromuscular responses of individuals with CLBP during dynamic fatiguing tasks. We investigate the regional alteration in muscle activation and peak torque exertion during a dynamic isokinetic fatiguing task in individuals with and without CLBP. METHODS Electromyography (EMG) was acquired from the lumbar erector spinae unilaterally of 11 asymptomatic controls and 12 individuals with CLBP, using high-density EMG (13 × 5 grid of electrodes). Seated in an isokinetic dynamometer, participants performed continuous cyclic trunk flexion-extension at 60o/s until volitional exhaustion. FINDINGS Similar levels of muscle activation and number of repetitions were observed for both groups (p > 0.05). However, the CLBP group exerted lower levels of peak torque for both flexion and extension moments (p < 0.05). The centre of lumbar erector spinae activity was shifted cranially in the CLBP group throughout the task (p < 0.05), while the control participants showed a more homogenous distribution of muscle activity. INTERPRETATION People with CLBP displayed altered and potentially less efficient activation of their lumbar erector spinae during a dynamic fatiguing task. Future studies should consider using high-density EMG biofeedback to optimise the spatial activation of the paraspinal musculature in people with low back pain (LBP).
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Training-Induced Acute Neuromuscular Responses to Military Specific Test during a Six-Month Military Operation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 18:ijerph18010215. [PMID: 33396662 PMCID: PMC7796053 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18010215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Limited data are available regarding strength and endurance training adaptations to occupational physical performance during deployment. This study assessed acute training-induced changes in neuromuscular (electromyography; EMG) and metabolic (blood lactate, BLa) responses during a high-intensity military simulation test (MST), performed in the beginning (PRE) and at the end (POST) of a six-month crisis-management operation. MST time shortened (145 ± 21 vs. 129 ± 16 s, -10 ± 7%, p < 0.001) during the operation. Normalized muscle activity increased from PRE to POST in the hamstring muscles by 87 ± 146% (116 ± 52 vs. 195 ± 139%EMGMVC, p < 0.001) and in the quadriceps by 54 ± 81% (26 ± 8 vs. 40 ± 20%EMGMVC, p < 0.001). In addition, higher acute BLa values were measured after MST during POST. Changes in BLa and EMG suggested an increased neural input and metabolic rate during POST MST, likely leading to faster performance times at the end of the operation. High EMG values throughout the different phases of MST suggested that despite the anaerobic nature of the test, the soldiers were able to maintain their voluntary muscle activation level until the end of the test. This indicates only limited neural fatigue during the two-minute high-intensity military specific performance. While learning effect may explain some part of the improvement in the MST performance times, combined strength and endurance training three times per week may improve neuromuscular performance in occupationally relevant tasks.
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Beretta-Piccoli M, Cescon C, D’Antona G. Evaluation of performance fatigability through surface EMG in health and muscle disease: state of the art. ARAB JOURNAL OF BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/25765299.2020.1862985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Beretta-Piccoli
- Criams-Sport Medicine Centre Voghera, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Rehabilitation Research Laboratory 2rLab, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied, Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Corrado Cescon
- Rehabilitation Research Laboratory 2rLab, Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied, Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe D’Antona
- Criams-Sport Medicine Centre Voghera, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Letter to the Editor-Changes in Muscle Pattern Activity during the Asymmetric Flat Bench Press. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 18:ijerph18010041. [PMID: 33374638 PMCID: PMC7793510 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18010041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In June 2020, the paper "Changes in Muscle Pattern Activity during the Asymmetric Flat Bench Press" was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [...].
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Andersen V, Pedersen H, Fimland MS, Shaw MP, Solstad TEJ, Stien N, Cumming KT, Saeterbakken AH. Acute Effects of Elastic Bands as Resistance or Assistance on EMG, Kinetics, and Kinematics During Deadlift in Resistance-Trained Men. Front Sports Act Living 2020; 2:598284. [PMID: 33345180 PMCID: PMC7739579 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2020.598284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to compare neuromuscular activation, kinetics and kinematics in three variations of the deadlift: (1) free weights, (2) free weights with elastic bands as resistance (bands anchored to the ground) and (3) free weights with elastic bands as assistance (bands attached above the bar). Sixteen resistance-trained men performed one repetition of the three variations as fast as possible using a 2-repetition maximum load in randomized and counterbalanced order. Muscle activation (gluteus maximus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, erector spinae, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis), kinematics (average-, peak-, and time to peak velocity), and kinetics (average-, peak,-and time to peak force) were measured during the ascending movement. Resisted and assisted deadlifts led to higher average and peak force outputs (p < 0.001–0.037, ES = 0.29–0.58), and time to peak velocity was shorter when compared to the free weights deadlift (p = 0.005–0.010, ES = 0.83–1.01). However, peak force was achieved faster when using free weights (p < 0.001, ES = 1.58–2.10) and assisted deadlifts had a lower peak velocity compared to resisted and free weights deadlift (p = 0.004–0.046, ES = 0.43–0.60). There were no significant differences in muscle activation between the different conditions (p = 0.082–1.000). In conclusion, the assisted and resisted deadlift produced higher force when compared to free weights. However, free weight and resisted deadlift seem more favorable for the barbell velocity. These findings are of importance for athletes and coaches which should select exercise depending on the goal of the session.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidar Andersen
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Helene Pedersen
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Marius Steiro Fimland
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Unicare Helsefort Rehabilitation Center, Rissa, Norway
| | - Matthew Peter Shaw
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Tom Erik Jorung Solstad
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Nicolay Stien
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | | | - Atle Hole Saeterbakken
- Faculty of Education, Arts and Sports, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
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