Clinical Research
New insights into the potentiation of the first and second phases of the M-wave after voluntary contractions in the quadriceps muscle
Javier Rodriguez-Falces PhD,
Nicolas Place PhD,
Corresponding Author
Javier Rodriguez-Falces PhD
Department of Electrical and Electronical Engineering, Universidad Pública de Navarra D.I.E.E., Campus de Arrosadía s/n, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
Correspondence to: J. Rodriguez-Falces; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorNicolas Place PhD
Institute of Sport Sciences and Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorJavier Rodriguez-Falces PhD,
Nicolas Place PhD,
Corresponding Author
Javier Rodriguez-Falces PhD
Department of Electrical and Electronical Engineering, Universidad Pública de Navarra D.I.E.E., Campus de Arrosadía s/n, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
Correspondence to: J. Rodriguez-Falces; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorNicolas Place PhD
Institute of Sport Sciences and Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Search for more papers by this authorABSTRACT
Introduction: We investigated the mechanisms underlying the potentiation of the first and second phases of the compound action potential (M-wave) after conditioning contractions. Methods: M-waves were evoked in the knee extensors before and after isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of 1 s, 3 s, 6 s, 10 s, 30 s, and 60 s. The amplitude, duration, and area of the M-wave first and second phases were measured during the 10-min period after each contraction. Results: The magnitude of the M-wave first phase was enlarged only after MVCs of 30 s and 60 s, whereas the second phase increased after all MVCs, regardless of their duration. The enlargement of the first phase remained for longer than 2 min, whereas the potentiation of the second phase lasted only 20 s. Conclusions: Potentiation of the first phase is the result of fatigue-induced membrane changes, whereas enlargement of the second phase is probably related to shortening of muscle fascicles. Muscle Nerve 55: 35–45, 2017
REFERENCES
- 1 Hicks A, McComas AJ. Increased sodium pump activity following repetitive stimulation of rat soleus muscles. J Physiol 1989; 414: 337–349.
- 2 Cupido CM, Galea V, McComas AJ. Potentiation and depression of the M-wave in human biceps brachii. J Physiol 1996; 491: 541–550.
- 3 Hamada T, Sale DG, MacDougall JD, Tarnopolsky MA. Postactivation potentiation, fiber type, and twitch contraction time in human knee extensor muscles. J Appl Physiol 2000; 88: 2131–2137.
- 4 Fowles JR, Sale DG, MacDougall JD. Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors. J Appl Physiol 2000; 89: 1179–1188.
- 5 Jubeau M, Gondin J, Martin A, van Hoecke J, Maffiuletti NA. Differences in twitch potentiation between voluntary and stimulated quadriceps contractions of equal intensity. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2010; 20: 56–62.
- 6 Rodriguez-Falces J, Duchateau J, Muraoka Y, Baudry S. M-wave potentiation after voluntary contractions of different durations and intensities in the tibialis anterior. J Appl Physiol 2015; 118: 953–964.
- 7 Johnson MA, Polgar J, Weightman D, Appleton D. Data on the distribution of fibre types in thirty-six human muscles: an autopsy study. J Neurol Sci 1973; 18: 111–129.
- 8 Farina D, Merletti R, Enoka RM. The extraction of neural strategies from the surface EMG. J Appl Physiol 2004; 96: 1486–1495.
- 9 Hainaut K, Duchateau J. Muscle fatigue, effects of training and disuse. Muscle Nerve 1989; 12: 660–669.
- 10 Hicks A, Fenton J, Garner S, McComas AJ. M-wave potentiation during and after muscle activity. J Appl Physiol 1989; 66: 2606–2610.
- 11 Hanson J. Effects of repetitive stimulation on membrane potentials and twitch in human and rat intercostal muscle fibers. Acta Physiol Scand 1974; 92: 238–248.
- 12 Dimitrova NA, Dimitrov GV. Amplitude-related characteristics of motor unit and M-wave potentials during fatigue. A simulation study using literature data on intracellular potential changes found in vitro. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2002; 12: 339–349.
- 13 Thomas CK, Woods JJ, Bigland-Ritchie B. Impulse propagation and muscle activation in long maximal voluntary contractions. J Appl Physiol 1989; 67: 1835–1842.
- 14 Bigland-Ritchie B, Kukulka CG, Lippold OC, Woods JJ. The absence of neuromuscular transmission failure in sustained maximal voluntary contractions. J Physiol 1982; 330: 265–278.
- 15 Elder GC, Bradbury K, Roberts R. Variability of fiber type distributions within human muscles. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol 1982; 53: 1473–1480.
- 16 Kubo K, Kanehisa H, Kawakami Y, Fukunaga T. Influences of repetitive muscle contractions with different modes on tendon elasticity in vivo. J Appl Physiol 2001; 91: 277–282.
- 17 Maganaris CN, Baltzopoulos V, Sargeant AJ. Repeated contractions alter the geometry of human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol 2002; 93: 2089–2094.
- 18 Rodriguez-Falces J, Place N. Effects of muscle fibre shortening on the characteristics of surface motor unit potentials. Med Biol Eng Comput 2014; 52: 95–107.
- 19 Duchateau J, Hainaut K. Electrical and mechanical failures during sustained and intermittent contractions in humans. J Appl Physiol 1985; 58: 942–947.
- 20 Botter A, Oprandi G, Lanfranco F, Allasia S, Maffiuletti NA, Minetto MA. Atlas of the muscle motor points for the lower limb: implications for electrical stimulation procedures and electrode positioning. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011; 111: 2461–2471.
- 21 Gerilovsky L, Tsvetinov P, Trenkova G. Peripheral effects on the amplitude of monopolar and bipolar H-reflex potentials from the soleus muscle. Exp Brain Res 1989; 76: 173–181.
- 22 Rodriguez-Falces J, Navallas J, Malanda A, Rodriguez-Martin O. Comparison of the duration and power spectral changes of monopolar and bipolar M-waves caused by alterations in muscle fibre conduction velocity. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2014; 24: 452–464.
- 23 Neyroud D, Vallotton A, Millet GY, Kayser B, Place N. The effect of muscle fatigue on stimulus intensity requirements for central and peripheral fatigue quantification. Eur J Appl Physiol 2014; 114: 205–215.
- 24 Stulen FB, DeLuca CJ. Frequency parameters of the myoelectric signal as a measure of muscle conduction velocity. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 1981; 28: 515–523.
- 25 Bilodeau M, Schindler-Ivens S, Williams DM, Chandran R, Sharma SS. EMG frequency content changes with increasing force and during fatigue in the quadriceps femoris muscle of men and women. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2003; 13: 83–92.
- 26 Rodriguez-Falces J, Neyroud D, Place N. Influence of inter-electrode distance, contraction type, and muscle on the relationship between the sEMG power spectrum and contraction force. Eur J Appl Physiol 2015; 115: 627–638.
- 27 Keenan KG, Farina D, Merletti R, Enoka RM. Influence of motor unit properties on the size of the simulated evoked surface EMG potential. Exp Brain Res 2006; 169: 37–49.
- 28 Bruton JD, Westerblad H, Katz A, Lännergren J. Augmented force output in skeletal muscle fibres of Xenopus following a preceding bout of activity. J Physiol 1996; 493: 211–217.
- 29 Venosa RA. Hypotonic stimulation of the Na+ active transport in frog skeletal muscle: role of the cytoskeleton. J Physiol 2003; 548: 451–459.
- 30 Lüttgau HC. The effect of metabolic inhibitors on the fatigue of the action potential in single muscle fibres. J Physiol (Lond) 1965; 178: 45–67.
- 31 Metzger JM, Fitts RH. Fatigue from high- and low frequency muscle stimulation: role of sarcolemma action potentials. Exp Neurol 1986; 93: 320–333.
- 32 Lännergren J, Westerblad H. Action potential fatigue in single skeletal muscle fibres of Xenopus. Acta Physiol Scand 1987; 129: 311–318.
- 33 Arabadzhiev TI, Dimitrov GV, Chakarov VE, Dimitrov AG, Dimitrova NA. Effects of changes in intracellular action potential on potentials recorded by single-fiber, macro, and belly–tendon electrodes. Muscle Nerve 2008; 37: 700–712.
- 34 Hanson J, Persson A. Changes in the action potential and contraction of isolated frog muscle after repetitive stimulation. Acta Physiol Scand 1971; 81: 340–348.
- 35 Juel C. Muscle action potential propagation velocity changes during activity. Muscle Nerve 1988; 11: 714–719.
- 36 Fortune E, Lowery MM. Effect of extracellular potassium accumulation on muscle fiber conduction velocity: a simulation study. Ann Biomed Eng 2009; 37: 2105–2117.
- 37 McGill KC, Lateva ZC. History dependence of human muscle-fiber conduction velocity during voluntary isometric contractions. J Appl Physiol 2011; 111: 630–641.
- 38 van der Hoeven JH, van Weerden TW, Zwarts MJ. Long-lasting supernormal conduction velocity after sustained maximal isometric contraction in human muscle. Muscle Nerve 1993; 16: 312–320.
- 39 Clausen T. In isolated skeletal muscle, excitation may increase extracellular K+ 10-fold; how can contractility be maintained? Exp Physiol 2011; 96: 356–368.
- 40 Vyskocil F, Hník P, Rehfeldt H, Vejsada R, Ujec E. The measurement of K+ concentration changes in human muscles during volitional contractions. Pflugers Arch 1983; 399: 235–237.
Citing Literature
