Journal
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
Volume 316, Issue 3, Pages 153-156Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02389-8
Keywords
motoneuron; contractile properties; rate coding; recruitment
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
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 (similar to1.3-2-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. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available