Short vs. long pulses for testing knee extensor neuromuscular properties: does it matter?

Purpose The present study aimed at comparing knee extensor neuromuscular properties determined with transcutaneous electrical stimulation using two pulse durations before and after a standardized fatigue protocol. Methods In the first sub-study, 19 healthy participants (ten women and nine men; 28 +/- 5 years) took part to two separate testing sessions involving the characterization of voluntary activation (twitch interpolation technique), muscle contractility (evoked forces by single and paired stimuli), and neuromuscular propagation (M-wave amplitude from vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles) obtained at supramaximal intensity with a pulse duration of either 0.2 or 1 ms. The procedures were identical in the second sub-study (N = 11), except that neuromuscular properties were also evaluated after a standardized fatiguing exercise. Electrical stimulation was delivered through large surface electrodes positioned over the quadriceps muscle and a visual analog scale was used to evaluate the discomfort to paired stimuli evoked at rest. Results There was no difference between pulse durations in the estimates of voluntary activation, neuromuscular propagation, and muscle contractility both in the non-fatigued and fatigued states. The discomfort associated with supramaximal paired electrical stimuli was also comparable between the two pulse durations. Conclusions It appears that 0.2- and 1-ms-long pulses provide a comparable evaluation of knee extensor neuromuscular properties.