Muscle function differs with load type and body posture during fatiguing contractions with the knee

extensor muscles
Jamie Justice, Thorsten Rudroff, Stephen Matthews, Rena Zuo and Roger Enoka
Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA 671.2

Introduction Experimental Setup Time to Failure Measures of Exertion

The mechanisms that cause muscle fatigue are specific to the Supine Posture Seated Posture Supine Posture
1200 Mean Arterial Pressure Rating of Perceived Exertion
task being performed. As a consequence, the time a 110
Force
Force
Position
submaximal contraction can be sustained varies with the load 10 Position

1000 100

MAP (mmHg)
type and posture (Enoka & Duchateau 2008).

Time to Failure (s)

8

Force Task 90

RPE
6

800 Force
The time to failure of a sustained submaximal contraction in 80
4

the elbow flexor (Rudroff et al. 2007), first dorsal interosseus 70

2

(Maluf et al. 2005), and dorsiflexor muscles (Hunter et al. 600

0 50 100 150 200 250 0 50 100 150 200 250
Time (s) Time (s)

2007) is less for a task that requires supporting an inertial load

(position task) compared with exerting an identical net torque Position Seated Posture
400 Mean Arterial Pressure
against a rigid restraint (force task).
Rating of Perceived Exertion
130 Force Force
Position 10 Position

200 Force 120

However, the relative durations of the tasks varies with limb

MAP (mmHg)
8

Position
posture. For example, the elbow flexors can sustain the force Position Task

RPE
110 6

task longer than the position task when the forearm is 0 100
4

horizontal and neutral, but there is no difference in the two Seated Supine 90
2

durations when the forearm is vertical and neutral (Rudroff et 0 200 400
Time (s)
600 800 1000 0 200 400
Time (s)
600 800 1000

al. 2005).
Subjects Pre-task MVC % MVC Decline
Seated Force 7 257 ± 57 N 26 ± 19 %
Conclusions
Purpose Seated Position 7 251 ± 54 N 10 ± 11 %
Supine Force 8 180 ± 37 N 32 ± 19 %
Supine Position 8 171 ± 41 N 31 ± 13 % · Time to task failure was briefer for the position task
To compare the times to failure of the force and than the force task when subjects were
position tasks performed with the knee extensor seated and supine.
muscles when the subjects were seated and supine. Representative Data Muscle Activation (EMG)
· The decline in MVC was least in the seated position task,
Supine Posture indicating that the subjects may have experienced less
ForceTask
Methods Rectus Femoris
Knee Extensors Knee Flexors
fatigue with the knee extensors.
65 Force 24
Force
Vastus Lateralis 60
Position
Position · Muscle activation (EMG) for the knee extensor muscles
Eight subjects (5 men; 30 ± 10 yrs) performed force and 20
increased at a greater rate for the position task in the

aEMG (%MVC)
position tasks with the knee extensors at 20% of maximal Vastus Medialis Longus
55
supine posture.
voluntary contraction (MVC) until task failure. 50 16

Vastus Medialis Obliquus 45

The net muscle torque exerted by each subject during the 12 · Mean arterial pressure (MAP) increased at a similar rate
40
submaximal contractions to failure was similar for the force and Biceps Femoris for both tasks, but was lower in the supine posture.
35 8
position tasks in the supine (15 ± 4 N·m) and seated (21 ± 3 0 50 100 150 200 250 0 50 100 150 200 250
· Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) increased similarly
50

N·m) postures. Force (N)

0
Time (s) Time (s)
1 min
for force and position tasks in both postures.
Force was measured with a force transducer in series with the Seated Posture
cable that connected the leg to the external restraint (force task) Position Task
References
Knee Extensors Knee Flexors
or to the inertial load (position task). Rectus Femoris 60 Force 40
Position Force
36 Position
50
Electromyographic activity (EMG) of the agonist muscles Vastus Lateralis
Enoka RM, Duchateau J. J Physiol 586.1: 11-23, 2008.
aEMG (% MVC)

32
(vastus medialis longus, vastus medialis obliquus, vastus Vastus Medialis Longus 40 Hunter SK et al. J Appl Physiol 105: 463-471 2007.
lateralis, rectus femoris) and one antagonist muscle (biceps 30
28 Maluf K et al. J Neurophysiol 167: 165-177, 2005.
Rudroff T et al. Muscle Nerve 31: 78-87, 2005.
femoris) were recorded during the fatiguing contractions with Vastus Medialis Obliquus 24
Rudroff T et al. J Appl Physiol 102: 1000-1006, 2007.
bipolar surface electrodes. Biceps Femoris
20
20
Acknowledgements. The authors thank Jakob Dideriksen and Martin Baeckgaard
10 16
(Aalborg University, Denmark) for assisting with MATLAB programming, and
Rating of perceived exertion and mean arterial pressure were Force (N)
50 0 200 400 600 800 1000 0 200 400 600 800 1000
Mike Pont for assistance in design and construction of the experimental apparatus.
Time (s)
recorded during all fatiguing contractions. 0
1 min
Time (s)

Supported by NINDS NS43275 to RME