Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Sports Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Sports Medicine
. 2003 Aug;37(4):296–299. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.37.4.296

Effects of supramaximal exercise on the electromyographic signal

A Hunter 1, C St 1, M Lambert 1, L Nobbs 1, T Noakes 1
PMCID: PMC1724671  PMID: 12893711

Abstract

Aim: To determine the neuromuscular recruitment characteristics during supramaximal exercise.

Methods: Ten healthy subjects completed the Wingate anaerobic test (WAT) cycling protocol. Electromyographic (EMG) data and rate of fatigue were recorded throughout the cycling.

Results: The mean (SD) rate of fatigue (decrease in power output) was 44.5 (8.6)%. No significant change was found in EMG amplitude. A significant decrease (p<0.01) in mean power frequency spectrum was found over the 30 second period.

Conclusions: During WAT, mean power frequency spectrum was attenuated with no decline in EMG amplitude, which may be caused by an accumulation of metabolites in the periphery. However, it is also possible that the feedback loop from intramuscular metabolism to the central nervous system is unable, within the 30 second period of the WAT, to affect neural recruitment strategy.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (120.1 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arendt-Nielsen L., Mills K. R., Forster A. Changes in muscle fiber conduction velocity, mean power frequency, and mean EMG voltage during prolonged submaximal contractions. Muscle Nerve. 1989 Jun;12(6):493–497. doi: 10.1002/mus.880120610. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bar-Or O. The Wingate anaerobic test. An update on methodology, reliability and validity. Sports Med. 1987 Nov-Dec;4(6):381–394. doi: 10.2165/00007256-198704060-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bernardi M., Solomonow M., Baratta R. V. Motor unit recruitment strategy of antagonist muscle pair during linearly increasing contraction. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1997 Jan-Feb;37(1):3–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bigland-Ritchie B. Factors contributing to quantitative surface electromyographic recording and how they are affected by fatigue. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1979 Feb;119(2 Pt 2):95–97. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1979.119.2P2.95. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bigland-Ritchie B., Johansson R., Lippold O. C., Woods J. J. Contractile speed and EMG changes during fatigue of sustained maximal voluntary contractions. J Neurophysiol. 1983 Jul;50(1):313–324. doi: 10.1152/jn.1983.50.1.313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bigland-Ritchie B., Kukulka C. G., Lippold O. C., Woods J. J. The absence of neuromuscular transmission failure in sustained maximal voluntary contractions. J Physiol. 1982 Sep;330:265–278. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1982.sp014340. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Blank A., Gonen B., Magora A. The size of active motor units in the initiation and maintenance of an isometric contraction carried out to fatigue. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1979 Nov-Dec;19(6):535–539. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Degtyarenko A. M., Kaufman M. P. Stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region inhibits the discharge of neurons in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn of cats. Neurosci Lett. 2000 Dec 22;296(2-3):109–112. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(00)01629-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dotan R., Bar-Or O. Load optimization for the Wingate Anaerobic Test. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1983;51(3):409–417. doi: 10.1007/BF00429077. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Green S. Measurement of anaerobic work capacities in humans. Sports Med. 1995 Jan;19(1):32–42. doi: 10.2165/00007256-199519010-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hagberg M. Muscular endurance and surface electromyogram in isometric and dynamic exercise. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1981 Jul;51(1):1–7. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1981.51.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hussain S. T., Smith R. E., Medbak S., Wood R. F., Whipp B. J. Haemodynamic and metabolic responses of the lower limb after high intensity exercise in humans. Exp Physiol. 1996 Mar;81(2):173–187. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1996.sp003923. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Juel C. Muscle action potential propagation velocity changes during activity. Muscle Nerve. 1988 Jul;11(7):714–719. doi: 10.1002/mus.880110707. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lago P., Jones N. B. Effect of motor-unit firing time statistics on e.m.g. spectra. Med Biol Eng Comput. 1977 Nov;15(6):648–655. doi: 10.1007/BF02457923. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lindstrom L., Magnusson R., Petersén I. Muscular fatigue and action potential conduction velocity changes studied with frequency analysis of EMG signals. Electromyography. 1970 Nov-Dec;10(4):341–356. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Margaria R., Oliva R. D., Di Prampero P. E., Cerretelli P. Energy utilization in intermittent exercise of supramaximal intensity. J Appl Physiol. 1969 Jun;26(6):752–756. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1969.26.6.752. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. McCartney N., Heigenhauser G. J., Jones N. L. Power output and fatigue of human muscle in maximal cycling exercise. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1983 Jul;55(1 Pt 1):218–224. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1983.55.1.218. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Merletti R., Lo Conte L. R. Advances in processing of surface myoelectric signals: Part 1. Med Biol Eng Comput. 1995 May;33(3 Spec No):362–372. doi: 10.1007/BF02510518. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Moritani T., Muro M., Kijima A., Gaffney F. A., Parsons D. Electromechanical changes during electrically induced and maximal voluntary contractions: surface and intramuscular EMG responses during sustained maximal voluntary contraction. Exp Neurol. 1985 Jun;88(3):484–499. doi: 10.1016/0014-4886(85)90065-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Moritani T., Muro M., Nagata A. Intramuscular and surface electromyogram changes during muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1986 Apr;60(4):1179–1185. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1986.60.4.1179. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Moritani T., Nagata A., deVries H. A., Muro M. Critical power as a measure of physical work capacity and anaerobic threshold. Ergonomics. 1981 May;24(5):339–350. doi: 10.1080/00140138108924856. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mortimer J. T., Magnusson R., Petersén I. Conduction velocity in ischemic muscle: effect on EMG frequency spectrum. Am J Physiol. 1970 Nov;219(5):1324–1329. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1970.219.5.1324. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Nagamachi A., Ikata T., Katoh S., Morita T. Spectral analysis of erector spinae muscle surface electromyography as an index of exercise performance in maximal treadmill running. J Med Invest. 2000 Feb;47(1-2):29–35. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Petrofsky J. S., Lind A. R. The influence of temperature on the amplitude and frequency components of the EMG during brief and sustained isometric contractions. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1980;44(2):189–200. doi: 10.1007/BF00421098. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. St Clair Gibson A., Schabort E. J., Noakes T. D. Reduced neuromuscular activity and force generation during prolonged cycling. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2001 Jul;281(1):R187–R196. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.2001.281.1.R187. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Vandewalle H., Maton B., Le Bozec S., Guerenbourg G. An electromyographic study of an all-out exercise on a cycle ergometer. Arch Int Physiol Biochim Biophys. 1991 Feb;99(1):89–93. doi: 10.3109/13813459109145909. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Viitasalo J. H., Komi P. V. Signal characteristics of EMG during fatigue. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1977 Sep 16;37(2):111–121. doi: 10.1007/BF00421697. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Zwarts M. J., Van Weerden T. W., Haenen H. T. Relationship between average muscle fibre conduction velocity and EMG power spectra during isometric contraction, recovery and applied ischemia. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1987;56(2):212–216. doi: 10.1007/BF00640646. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. van Boxtel A., Schomaker L. R. Influence of motor unit firing statistics on the median frequency of the EMG power spectrum. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1984;52(2):207–213. doi: 10.1007/BF00433394. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Sports Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES