Neuromuscular fatigue during maximal concurrent hand grip and elbow flexion or extension

Abstract

The objective was to investigate muscle fatigue measuring changes in force output and force tremor and electromyographic activity (EMG) during two sustained maximal isometric contractions for 60 s: (1) concurrent hand grip and elbow flexion (HG and EF); or (2) hand grip and elbow extension (HG and EE). Each force tremor amplitude was decomposed into four frequency bands (1–3, 4–10, 11–20, and 21–50 Hz). Surface EMGs were recorded from the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), extensor digitorum (ED), biceps brachii (BB) and lateral head of triceps brachii (TB). The HG and EF forces for the HG and EF and the HG force for the HG and EE declined rapidly, whereas the EE force remained almost constant near to the initial value for the first 40 s and then declined. The decrease in EMG amplitude was observed not for the FDS muscle but for the ED muscle. The HG tremor amplitude for each frequency band showed similar decreasing rate, whereas the decreases in EF and EE tremor amplitudes for the lower band (below 10 Hz) were slower than those for the higher band (above 11 Hz). The neuromuscular mechanisms underlying muscle fatigue during sustained maximal concurrent contractions of hand grip and elbow flexion or extension are discussed.