Comparison of mechanomyographic amplitude and mean power frequency for the rectus femoris muscle: Cycle versus knee-extensor ergometry

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude and mean power frequency (MPF) versus power output relationships for the rectus femoris (RF) muscle during incremental cycle (CE) and knee-extensor (KE) ergometry in the same subjects. Eight men performed incremental CE and KE tests to exhaustion while the MMG signal was recorded from the RF muscle. Polynomial regression analyses on the composite and subject-by-subject basis indicated that the relationship between MMG amplitude versus power output was best-fit with a linear model for the composite data and each subject for the KE test, whereas the relationship was best-fit with a linear model for the composite data, but either linear, quadratic, or cubic for the CE test. In addition, there were no consistent patterns of responses for either the CE or KE test for MMG MPF. These results suggest that KE rather than traditional CE exercise may be an optimal mode of examining MMG amplitude for the RF muscle.