Load-dependent muscle strategy during plantarflexion in humans

Assessment of Self-report, Palpation, and Surface Electromyography Dataset During Isometric Muscle Contraction

Measuring muscle fatigue involves assessing various components within the motor system. While subjective and sensor-based measures have been proposed, a comprehensive comparison of these assessment measures is currently lacking. This study aims to bridge this gap by utilizing three commonly used measures: participant self-reported perceived muscle fatigue scores, a sports physiotherapist's manual palpation-based muscle tightness scores, and surface electromyography sensors. Compensatory muscle fatigue occurs when one muscle group becomes fatigued, leading to the involvement and subsequent fatigue of other muscles as they compensate for the workload. The evaluation of compensatory muscle fatigue focuses on nine different upper body muscles selected by the sports physiotherapist. With a cohort of 30 male subjects, this study provides a valuable dataset for researchers and healthcare practitioners in sports science, rehabilitation, and human performance. It enables the exploration and comparison of diverse methods for evaluating different muscles in isometric contraction.

Lower limb muscle activity during first and second tennis serves: a comparison of three surface electromyography normalisation methods

We assessed lower limb muscle activity during the execution of first and second tennis serves, exploring whether the extent of these differences is influenced by the chosen method for normalising surface electromyography (EMG) data. Ten male competitive tennis players first completed three rounds of maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVC) of knee extensors and plantar flexors for the left (front) and right (back) leg separately, and three squat jumps. Afterward, they executed ten first and ten-second serves. Surface EMG activity of four lower limb muscles (vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius lateralis, and soleus muscles) on each leg was recorded and normalised in three different ways: to MVC; to peak/maximal activity measured during squat jump; and to the actual serve. For the rectus femoris and soleus muscles of the left leg, and the gastrocnemius lateralis and soleus muscles of the right leg, EMG amplitude differed significantly between normalisation techniques (P ≤ 0.012). All muscles showed greater activity during the first serve, although this difference was only statistically significant for the right vastus lateralis muscle (P = 0.014). In conclusion, the EMG normalisation method selected may offer similar information when comparing first and second serve, at least for leg muscles studied here.

Antagonist muscle torque at the ankle interfere with maximal voluntary contraction under isometric and anisometric conditions

While resultant maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) is commonly used to assess muscular performance, the simultaneous activation of antagonist muscles may dramatically underestimate the strength of the agonist muscles. Although quantification of antagonist torque has been performed in isometric conditions, it has yet to be determined in anisometric conditions. The aim of the study was to compare the mechanical impact of antagonist torque between eccentric, isometric and concentric contractions in PF and DF MVCs. The MVCs in dorsiflexion (DF) and plantar-flexion (PF) were measured in isometric, concentric and eccentric conditions (10° s^-1) in nine healthy men (26.1 ± 2.7 years; 1.78 ± 0.05 m; 73.4 ± 6.5 kg) through two sessions. Electromyographic (EMG) activities from the soleus, gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis, and tibialis anterior muscles were simultaneously recorded. The EMG biofeedback method was used to quantify antagonist torque. Resultant torque significantly underestimated agonist torque in DF MVC (30-65%) and to a lesser extent in PF MVC (3%). Triceps surae antagonist torque was significantly modified with muscle contraction type, showing higher antagonist torque in isometric (29 Nm) than in eccentric (23 Nm, p < 0.001) and concentric (14 Nm, p < 0.001) conditions and resulting in modification of the DF MVC torque-velocity shape. Estimation of the antagonist torque in isometric or anisometric conditions provides new relevant insights to improve neuromuscular performance assessment and to better design strength training and rehabilitation programs related to the torque applied by agonist and antagonist muscles.

Initial conditions influence the characteristics of ballistic contractions in the ankle dorsiflexors

This study investigated the influence of different initial conditions on a subsequent fast (ballistic) isometric contraction of the ankle dorsiflexor muscles. Surface electromyograms (EMGs) of dorsiflexor and plantarflexor muscles were recorded during ballistic contractions performed without any pre-activation (BAL) and in ballistic contractions preceded by a sustained submaximal contraction (20% MVC) that was followed either by a rapid voluntary relaxation of the agonist muscle (VRBAL) or by a rapid antagonist (reversal) contraction (ARBAL). In the latter condition, three different antagonist torque levels were compared (25, 50 and 75% MVC). The results showed that the mean average rate of torque development was significantly (P < 0.001) greater for the ARBAL condition (968.5 ± 183.9% MVC/s) compared with the VRBAL (509.3 ± 78.7% MVC/s) and BAL (461.8 ± 79.9% MVC/s) conditions. Furthermore, the mean value recorded for VRBAL was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than for BAL condition. The faster increases in torque during the VRBAL and ARBAL conditions were associated with a greater agonist EMG activity. Compared with VRBAL, performance during the ARBAL condition was improved by a greater level of antagonist coactivation and, in some trials, by the presence of a silent EMG period between the end of the antagonist activation and the onset of the agonist ballistic contraction. Together, these results indicate that the initial conditions can have a substantial influence on the rate of torque development during ballistic contractions performed in isometric conditions.

Coactivation at the ankle joint is not sufficient to estimate agonist and antagonist mechanical contribution

The aim of this study was to assess, via an electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback method, the mechanical contribution of both agonist and antagonist muscles during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). We compared this original method with the MVC-EMGmax ratio and the torque/EMG relationship method, both of which are commonly used to estimate antagonist torque. The plantarflexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) MVCs were measured simultaneously with EMG activity of triceps surae (TS) and tibialis anterior in 15 young adults (mean age 23 years). Antagonist torques obtained from the torque/EMG relationship and EMG biofeedback methods appeared to be similar. TS antagonist torque had a major mechanical impact on DF MVC ( approximately 42%). EMG coactivation is significantly different than normalized antagonist torque. TS antagonist torque is not negligible when maximal DF is assessed, and the EMG biofeedback method is a simple method to estimate antagonist torque.

Comparison of electromyographic activity during eccentrically versus concentrically loaded isometric contractions

Electromyographic (EMG) amplitude and mechanical tension are directly related during isometric contraction. Maximal voluntary isometric contractions are typically elicited through two different procedures; resisting a load, which is eccentric in nature, and contracting against an immovable object, which is concentric in nature. A wealth of literature exists indicating that EMG amplitude during concentric contractions is greater than that of eccentric contractions of the same magnitude. However, the effects of different methods to elicit isometric contraction on EMG amplitude have yet to be investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare EMG amplitudes under different loading configurations designed to elicit isometric muscle contraction. Twenty healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females, age=23+/-2 yrs, height=1.7+/-0.09 m, mass=69.9+16.8 kg) performed a maximal voluntary plantarflexion effort for which the vertical ground reaction force (GRFv) sampled from a force plate and surface EMG of the soleus were recorded. Participants then performed isometric plantarflexion at 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% GRFv(max) in a seated position, from a neutral ankle position, under two different counterbalanced isometric loading conditions (concentric and eccentric). For concentric loading conditions, the subject contracted against an immovable resistance to the specified %GRFv identified via visual and auditory feedback. For eccentric loading conditions, subjects contracted against an applied load placed on the distal anterior thigh that produced the specified %GRFv. This applied load had the tendency to force the ankle into dorsiflexion. Therefore, plantarflexion force, in an attempt to maintain the ankle in a neutral position, resisted lengthening of the plantarflexor musculature, thus representing eccentric loading during an isometric contraction. Mean EMG amplitude was compared across loading levels and types using a 2 (loading type: concentric, eccentric)x4 (loading level: 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% GRFv) repeated-measures ANOVA. The main effect for loading level was significant (p=0.007). However, the main effect for loading type, and the loading type x loading level interaction were non-significant (p>0.05). The present findings provide evidence that isometric muscle contractions loaded in either concentric or eccentric manners elicit similar EMG amplitudes, and are therefore comparable in research settings.

Oral baclofen increases maximal voluntary neuromuscular activation of ankle plantar flexors in children with spasticity due to cerebral palsy

Although spasticity is a common symptom in children with cerebral palsy, weakness may be a much greater contributor to disability. We explore whether a treatment that reduces spasticity may also have potential benefit for improving strength. Ten children with cerebral palsy and spasticity in the ankle plantar flexor muscles were treated with oral baclofen for 4 weeks. We tested voluntary ability to activate ankle plantar flexor muscles using the ratio of the surface electromyographic signal during isometric maximal voluntary contraction to the M-wave during supramaximal electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve and tested muscle strength using maximal isometric plantar flexion torque. Mean maximal voluntary neuromuscular activation increased from 1.13 +/- 1.02 to 1.60 +/- 1.30 ( P < .05) after treatment, corresponding to an increase in 9 of 10 subjects. Mean maximal plantar flexion torque did not change. We conjecture that antispasticity agents could facilitate strength training by increasing the ability to voluntarily activate muscle.

Antagonist mechanical contribution to resultant maximal torque at the ankle joint in young and older men

A recorded muscular torque at one joint is a resultant torque corresponding to the participation of both agonist and antagonist muscles. This study aimed to examine the effect of aging on the mechanical contributions of both plantar- and dorsi-flexors to the resultant maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torques exerted at the ankle joint, in dorsi-flexion (DF) and plantar-flexion (PF). The estimation of isometric agonist and antagonist torques by means of an EMG biofeedback technique was made with nine young (mean age 24 years) and nine older (mean age 80 years) men. While there was a non-significant age-related decline in the measured resultant DF MVC torque (-15%; p=0.06), there was a clear decrease in the estimated agonist MVC torque exerted by the dorsi-flexors (-39%; p=0.001). The DF-to-PF resultant MVC torque ratio was significantly lower in young than in older men (0.25 vs. 0.31; p=0.006), whereas the DF-to-PF agonist MVC torque ratio was no longer different between the two populations (0.38 vs. 0.35; p>0.05). Thus, agonist MVC torques in PF and DF would be similarly affected by aging, which could not be deduced when only resultant torques were examined.

Effects of joint angle and age on ankle dorsi- and plantar-flexor strength

This study aimed at examining the effects of joint angle and age on the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, for the agonist and antagonist muscle groups around the ankle, i.e., the dorsi- and plantar-flexors. To this aim, neural and muscular factors were investigated in two groups of healthy men: 11 young (mean age, 24 years) and 18 older (mean age, 78 years). Plantar-flexion (PF) and dorsiflexion (DF) isometric MVC torques were measured in three different ankle joint angles and surface electromyographic activities of the triceps surae and of the tibialis anterior muscles were recorded. The main findings were that the DF-to-PF MVC torque ratio varied with joint angle and age, indicating that aging affected at different rates the two muscle groups: this ratio was always higher in older adults because of the PF strength decline with aging. Furthermore, the DF MVC torque-angle relationship appeared to be especially explained by neural factors, whereas the relationship in PF seemed to be mainly due to muscular parameters. These relationships would not be a discriminating factor between the two age groups. As a consequence, measurements at one ankle joint angle, whatever the angle, are thus enough to examine the differences within age groups and to perform a rapid assessment of the imbalance at the ankle joint.

Fascicle behavior of medial gastrocnemius muscle in extended and flexed knee positions

The present study tested the hypotheses that Achilles tendon forces during fast concentric actions do not differ between extended and flexed knee positions, and this phenomenon is attributable to the force-length characteristics and electromyograms (EMGs) of gastrocnemius muscle. Seven healthy men performed static and concentric plantarflexions at fully extended (K0) and 0.785 rad (45 degrees ) flexed (K45) knee positions with the maximal effort. In concentric actions, the angular velocities were set at 0.524 (slow) and 6.109 rad s(-1) (fast). Fascicle length of medial gastrocnemius (MG) was determined with ultrasonography. Surface EMGs of the MG were recorded during each action. Achilles tendon force was calculated from the torque and moment arm of the tendon. Peak tendon forces in fast concentric actions were similar in K0 and in K45, but those in static and slow concentric actions significantly (P<0.05) differed between the two positions. When the tendon force peaked, the fascicle lengths in each action and fascicle velocities in both concentric actions were significantly (P<0.05) greater in K0 than in K45. The EMGs were significantly (P<0.05) higher in K0 than K45 during each action. The results suggest that (1) the difference in the tendon forces between the two positions can be explained by the force-length and -velocity characteristics and the EMGs of the MG, and (2) the contribution of the MG to the tendon force in flexed knee positions is greater in concentric actions than expected from the results in static actions.

Strength training in old age: adaptation of antagonist muscles at the ankle joint

The purpose of this study was to determine whether strength training could reduce the deficit in plantarflexion (PF) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque observed in previous studies in older subjects relative to young adults. Accordingly, the effects of a 6-month strength training program on the muscle and neural properties of the major muscle groups around the ankle were examined. PF and dorsiflexion (DF) isometric MVC torques were measured and surface electromyographic activity of the triceps surae and tibialis anterior muscles was recorded. The strength training program was very effective in improving strength in PF (+24.5%), and it thus reduced the DF-to-PF MVC torque ratio; in addition, it also induced gains in DF (+7.6%). Thus, there must be an improvement in ankle joint stability. In PF, gains were due particularly to a modification of the agonist neural drive; in DF, the gains appeared to be the consequence of a reduction in antagonist coactivation. Our findings indicate that the investigation of one muscle group should always be accompanied by examination of its antagonist muscle group.

Muscular Performances at the Ankle Joint in Young and Elderly Men

The effect of aging on mechanical and electromyographic characteristics of ankle joint muscles was investigated in 11 young (mean age 24 years) and 12 elderly (mean age 77 years) males. Maximal and submaximal isometric voluntary torques were measured during ankle plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. Electromyographic activities of triceps surae and tibialis anterior muscles were recorded. The elderly group developed equal maximal dorsiflexion torques (42 vs 45 N.m, p >.05), but in plantarflexion, the elderly group was weaker (80 vs 132 N.m, p <.001) and presented a decreased twitch amplitude (11 vs 16 N.m) and lower coactivation (8% vs 15%) than that of the young adults. We established a linear relationship between the percentage of coactivation and developed resultant torque. Our results showed that dorsiflexor muscles were not affected by aging, contrary to plantarflexors, in which the decline in torque was partly explained by changes intervening at the peripheral level.