Motor unit discharge rate following twitch potentiation in human triceps brachii muscle

Abstract

It has been proposed that during brief voluntary contractions, twitch potentiation may sustain force output despite a decline in motor unit discharge rate. This study examined the evoked twitch force and motor unit discharge rates during submaximal voluntary contractions of the triceps brachii muscle before and after a 5 s conditioning contraction (CC) at 75% of maximal voluntary force. After the CC, twitch force potentiated (∼1.3–2-fold), and the discharge rate in 33 of 35 motor units declined significantly by 1–6 Hz. The increase in twitch force was significantly correlated with the decline in discharge rate ( r=−0.74). These findings suggest that the extent of the decrease in motor unit discharge rate following a CC is associated with the magnitude of twitch potentiation.