Search results for "Femoral Nerve"
showing 10 items of 21 documents
Spinal plasticity with motor imagery practice.
2019
KEY POINTS: While a consensus has now been reached on the effect of motor imagery (MI) – the mental simulation of an action – on motor cortical areas, less is known about its impact on spinal structures. The current study, using H‐reflex conditioning paradigms, examined the effect of a 20 min MI practice on several spinal mechanisms of the plantar flexor muscles. We observed modulations of spinal presynaptic circuitry while imagining, which was even more pronounced following an acute session of MI practice. We suggested that the small cortical output generated during MI may reach specific spinal circuits and that repeating MI may increase the sensitivity of the spinal cord to its effects. T…
Central and peripheral fatigue of the knee extensor muscles induced by electromyostimulation.
2005
The main purpose of this study was to characterise neuromuscular fatigue induced by 30 contractions of the knee extensor muscles evoked by electromyostimulation (EMS). Twelve healthy subjects were tested before and after a typical EMS session (frequency: 75 Hz, on-off ratio: 6.25 s on-20 s off) used for quadriceps femoris muscle strengthening. Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity and torque obtained during maximal voluntary and electrically evoked contractions were analysed to distinguish peripheral from central fatigue. Maximal voluntary torque of the knee extensor muscles decreased approximately 20 % (p < 0.001) following EMS. In the same way, peak torque associated to single (p < 0.0…
Changes in neuromuscular function after tasks involving control of EMG versus torque feedback of the same duration.
2006
This study was designed to compare alterations in neuromuscular function after two tasks of similar duration involving the control of (1) torque level fixed at 40% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque (torque task) and (2) EMG level when exerting 40% MVC torque on the knee extensor muscles. Ten healthy subjects volunteered to participate in two testing sessions separated by approximately 2 h. Contraction duration for the EMG task was fixed for each subject to the time to task failure of the torque task (104+/-20s). MVC, maximal voluntary activation level, muscle compound action potential (M-wave), peak twitch and potentiated peak doublet were assessed before and immediately after each…
Alteration of Neuromuscular Function After a Prolonged Road Cycling Race
2003
The aim of this study was to characterize neuromuscular fatigue in knee extensor muscles after a prolonged cycling exercise. During the two days preceding a 140-km race (mean +/- SD duration: 278.2 +/- 24.9 min) and 15 to 30 min after, maximal percutaneous electrical stimulations were applied to the femoral nerve of 11 trained cyclists. Electrically evoked superimposed twitches and trains of 6 stimulations were delivered during isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) to determine maximal voluntary activation (% VA). Knee extensors MVC decreased with fatigue from 158.2 +/- 29.6 to 144.2 +/- 30.0 Nm (p < 0.01), but no central activation failure was detected after the race. The average r…
Fatigue and Recovery After High-Intensity Exercise Part I: Neuromuscular Fatigue
2004
The contribution of central and peripheral factors to muscle fatigue were quantified following a high-intensity uphill running exercise. Eight male volunteers performed an intermittent exercise at 120 % of maximal aerobic speed on a treadmill with an 18 % grade. Electrically evoked and voluntary contractions of the knee extensors and EMG of the two vastii were analyzed before and immediately after the high-intensity exercise. Isometric maximal voluntary contraction decreased slightly (-7+/-8 %; p < 0.05) after exercise but no changes were found in the level of maximal activation or in the torque produced by a 80 Hz maximal stimulation applied to the femoral nerve. Following exercise, the si…
Torque decrease during submaximal evoked contractions of the quadriceps muscle is linked not only to muscle fatigue.
2015
International audience; The aim of this study was to analyze the neuromuscular mechanisms involved in the torque decrease induced by submaximal electromyostimulation (EMS) of the quadriceps muscle. It was hypothesized that torque decrease after EMS would reflect the fatigability of the activated motor units (MUs), but also a reduction in the number of MUs recruited as a result of changes in axonal excitability threshold. Two experiments were performed on 20 men to analyze 1) the supramaximal twitch superimposed and evoked at rest during EMS (Experiment 1, n = 9) and 2) the twitch response and torque-frequency relation of the MUs activated by EMS (Experiment 2, n = 11). Torque loss was asses…
Central and Peripheral Contributions to Fatigue after Electrostimulation Training
2006
Purpose: We examined the effect of 4 (WK4) and 8 wk (WK8) of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training on both endurance time and mechanisms contributing to task failure. Methods: Ten males performed a fatiguing isometric contraction with the knee extensor muscles at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) until exhaustion before (B), at WK4, and at WK8 of NMES training. The electromyographic (EMG) activity and muscle activation obtained under MVC were recorded before and after the fatiguing task to assess central fatigue. Torque and EMG responses obtained under electrically evoked contractions were examined before and after the fatiguing task to analyze peripheral fatigue. Re…
Mechanisms contributing to knee extensor strength loss after prolonged running exercise.
2002
The aim of this study was to identify the mechanisms that contribute to the decline in knee extensor (KE) muscles strength after a prolonged running exercise. During the 2 days preceding a 30-km running race [duration 188.7 ± 27.0 (SD) min] and immediately after the race, maximal percutaneous electrical stimulations (single twitch, 0.5-s tetanus at 20 and 80 Hz) were applied to the femoral nerve of 12 trained runners. Superimposed twitches were also delivered during isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) to determine the level of voluntary activation (%VA). The vastus lateralis electromyogram was recorded. KE MVC decreased from pre- to postexercise (from 188.1 ± 25.2 to 142.7 ± 29.7…
Neuromuscular Fatigue After a Ski Skating Marathon
2003
The aim of this study was to characterize neuromuscular fatigue in knee extensor muscles after a marathon skiing race (mean ± SD duration = 159.7 ± 17.9 min). During the 2 days preceding the event and immediately after, maximal percutaneous electrical stimulations (single twitch, 0.5-s tetanus at 20 and 80 Hz) were applied to the femoral nerve of 11 trained skiers. Superimposed twitches were also delivered during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) to determine maximal voluntary activation (%VA). EMG was recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle. MVC decreased with fatigue from 171.7 ± 33.7 to 157.3 ± 35.2 Nm (-8.4%; p < 0.005) while %VA did not change significantly. The RMS measured du…
Effect of cycling cadence on contractile and neural properties of knee extensors.
2001
LEPERS, R., G. Y. MILLET, and N. A. MAFFIULETTI. Effect of cycling cadence on contractile and neural properties of knee extensors. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 11, 2001, pp. 1882–1888. Purpose: This study investigated the effect of prior prolonged cycling exercise performed at different cadences on subsequent neuromuscular characteristics. Methods: Eight well-trained triathletes sustained 80% of their maximal aerobic power during 30 min at three cadences: the freely chosen cadence (FCC), FCC20%, and FCC20%. Maximal isometric and concentric (120°·s 1 and 240°·s 1 ) torques were recorded before and after the exercise. Central activation, neural (M-wave), and contractile (isometric mu…