Search results for "muscle contraction"
showing 10 items of 569 documents
Signal Characteristics of EMG at Different Levels of Muscle Tension
1976
Electromyographic activity of m. rectus femoris at submaximal and maximal voluntary contractions was quantified by conventional integration technique and also be a more "qualitative" procedure of automated motor unit averaging and frequency spectrum analysis. By relating the EMG parameters to produced muscle tension it was observed that the integrated EMG increased in a slightly nonlinear fashion with the increase in muscle force. The other EMG variables also showed clear changes as a function of muscle tension. The averaged motor unit potential (AMUP) and its specific parameters (number of spikes, amplitude, rise time and amplitude-rise time ratio) showed such changes with muscle tension t…
Muscle cross-sectional area, force production and relaxation characteristics in women at different ages
1991
Thirty women, divided among three different age groups, i.e. 30 years (range 26–35;n = 10), 50 years (range 46–55;n = 10) and 70 years (range 66–75;n = 10) volunteered as subjects for examination of the characteristics of the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), maximal voluntary isometric force, isometric force-time and relaxation-time of their leg extensor muscles. The CSA of the quadriceps femoris muscle in the youngest age group was slightly larger (NS) than in the middle-aged group and much larger (P<0.41) than in the oldest age group whose CSA was markedly smaller (P<0.01) than the middle-aged group. Maximal force in the youngest group was slightly greater (NS) than in the middle-aged g…
Impaired muscle strength in female adolescents and young adults surviving leukemia in childhood
1993
Background. With the improving cure rate in childhood malignancies, increasing interest has been focused on long-term survivors. To evaluate late sequelae of childhood leukemia, the muscle strength of 43 young female survivors was investigated and compared with that of 69 healthy age-matched women. The patients had been off therapy for 1 to 19 years. Methods. The anthropometric characteristics measured were height and weight, and body mass index was calculated. The maximal isometric strengths for elbow flexion, knee extension, and hand grip were measured on a special dynamometer chair. Dynamic muscular endurance was measured by pushup and situp tests. Results. The mean height of the patient…
Importance of Patella, Quadriceps Forces, and Depthwise Cartilage Structure on Knee Joint Motion and Cartilage Response During Gait
2015
In finite-element (FE) models of the knee joint, patella is often omitted. We investigated the importance of patella and quadriceps forces on the knee joint motion by creating an FE model of the subject's knee. In addition, depthwise strains and stresses in patellar cartilage with different tissue properties were determined. An FE model was created from subject's magnetic resonance images. Knee rotations, moments, and translational forces during gait were recorded in a motion laboratory and used as an input for the model. Three material models were implemented into the patellar cartilage: (1) homogeneous model, (2) inhomogeneous (arcadelike fibrils), and (3) random fibrils at the superficia…
Bronchial reactivity and intracellular magnesium: a possible mechanism for the bronchodilating effects of magnesium in asthma
1998
1.Increased bronchial smooth muscle contractility with consequent bronchial hyperreactivity are characteristic physiopathological events of asthma. Since magnesium intervenes in calcium transport mechanisms and intracellular phosphorylation reactions, it constitutes an important determinant of the contraction/relaxation state of bronchial smooth muscle. In the present study we investigated the relationship between bronchial reactivity, assessed by methacholine-provocation test, and magnesium concentrations both at extracellular and intracellular levels measured by spectrophotometry. Twenty-two patients with mild-to-moderate asthma and 38 non-asthmatic subjects with allergic rhinitis (24 all…
The Effect of Nitrazepam on Manual Skill, Grip Strength, and Reaction Time with Special Reference to Subjective Evaluation of Effects on Sleep
1978
The effects of 5 and 10 mg oral nitrazepam doses on manual skills, grip strength, and reaction time 8 hours after ingestion of the drugs were studied in 34 healthy female volunteers aged 19-22 years. 5 mg nitrazepam caused a slight but insignificant decrease in psychomotor skills. With 10 mg psychomotor skills were influenced significantly. Grip strength and reaction time were not influenced either by the 5 or 10 mg doses. The investigators corroborate the value of the established effects of nitrazepam as a hypnotic, but recommend that caution should be excercised in prescribing the drug as a hypnotic (especially in doses exceeding 5 mg) to work-aged subjects as there is a risk of significa…
Biomechanics of simulated versus natural cross-country sit skiing
2017
The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanics of cross-country sit-skiing in simulated and natural skiing. Thirteen international level athletes participated in a ski ergometer test (simulated conditions) and a test on snow in a ski-tunnel (natural conditions) using their personal sit-ski. Tests in both conditions were performed at individual maximal speed. When comparing the two conditions the main results were: (1) maximal speed in simulated conditions was lower (p < 0.05) but correlated well with the natural condition (r = 0.79, p < 0.001); (2) no differences in pole force variables were found; peak force (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) and average force (r = 0.78, p < 0.01) correla…
The relative contribution to the plantar-flexor torque of the soleus motor units activated by the H reflex and M response in humans.
2000
Abstract This study proposes a method of quantifying the relative contribution to the plantar-flexor torque of soleus H and M responses evoked by tibial nerve stimulation. For ten subjects, the amplitude of the twitch produced by the H wave was plotted against the corresponding potential, for stimuli producing H without M (i.e. in the ascending portion of the H-recruitment curve). It was then assumed that the contribution of H to twitches produced by M plus H was similar for similar H waves on the curve-descending portion. Hence, the contribution of M was estimated, for the range of M waves including those accompanying H max . The estimated mechanical contributions of H and M wave increase …
Effects of a trail running competition on muscular performance and efficiency in well-trained young and master athletes
2010
International audience; To determine the acute effects of a trail running competition and the age-dependent differences between young and master athletes, 23 subjects [10 young (30.5 ± 7 years), 13 master (45.9 ± 5.9 years)] participated in a 55-km trail running competition. The study was conceived as an intervention study compromising pre, post 1, 24, 48 and 72 h measurements. Measurements consisted of blood tests, ergometer cycling and maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC). Parameters monitored included MVC, twitch-and M-wave properties, EMG (RMS) of the vastus lateralis, two locomotion efficiency calculations and muscle damage markers in the blood (CK, LDH). Results indicate pos…
Short and long latency reflex responses elicited by electrical and mechanical stimulation in human hand muscle
1986
The relationship between electrically and mechanically induced reflex responses in the rectified, averaged surface electromyogram of the first interosseus dorsalis muscle was examined in 18 healthy human subjects. Both methods evoked identifiable short and long latency reflex responses. The onset latencies for short latency reflexes with electrical and mechanical stimulations were 30.6 ms (+/- 2.2 ms) and 28.9 ms (+/- 2.2 ms) and for long latency reflexes 50.0 ms (+/- 2.8 ms) and 51.2 ms (+/- 5.2 ms), respectively. The correlation of the onset latencies of the reflexes revealed significant correspondence between the electrical and mechanical methods implying at least partly mutual mechanism…