Blood pressure and heart rate responses during a fatiguing isometric exercise in paraplegic men with hypertension

A group of 45 male subjects were examined in a cross-sectional study to compare the blood pressure response that occurs during isometric exercise maintained to fatigue among control subjects and paraplegic patients with (PH) and without essential hypertension (PN). Two muscle groups were examined: the handgrip muscles (voluntary effort) and the quadriceps muscles. The tension chosen for the contraction was 40% of the muscles maximum strength for both muscle groups. While the paraplegic groups had more strength in their handgrip muscles than that found for the controls, the control subjects had more strength in their quadriceps muscles than either of the paraplegic groups. During the fatiguing isometric contractions, the rate of rise and absolute systolic blood pressure was higher in the PH than the other groups of subjects. The diastolic pressure of the PH group, while elevated during exercise, was only elevated to the same degree as the increase in resting diastolic pressure above normal. Heart rate changes during exercise was the same in all groups of subjects for handgrip contractions. The controls had the same heart rate response to handgrip as to leg exercise. The paraplegic groups showed no heart rate change during fatiguing contractions of their quadriceps muscles. The PH group actually showed a reduction in heart rate during the leg exercise. Accepted: 10 July 2000     

Blood pressure and heart rate responses during a fatiguing isometric exercise in paraplegic men with hypertension

A group of 45 male subjects were examined in a cross-sectional study to compare the blood pressure response that occurs during isometric exercise maintained to fatigue among control subjects and paraplegic patients with (PH) and without essential hypertension (PN). Two muscle groups were examined: the handgrip muscles (voluntary effort) and the quadriceps muscles. The tension chosen for the contraction was 40% of the muscles maximum strength for both muscle groups. While the paraplegic groups had more strength in their handgrip muscles than that found for the controls, the control subjects had more strength in their quadriceps muscles than either of the paraplegic groups. During the fatiguing isometric contractions, the rate of rise and absolute systolic blood pressure was higher in the PH than the other groups of subjects. The diastolic pressure of the PH group, while elevated during exercise, was only elevated to the same degree as the increase in resting diastolic pressure above normal. Heart rate changes during exercise was the same in all groups of subjects for handgrip contractions. The controls had the same heart rate response to handgrip as to leg exercise. The paraplegic groups showed no heart rate change during fatiguing contractions of their quadriceps muscles. The PH group actually showed a reduction in heart rate during the leg exercise.     

Heart rate and blood pressure responses to isometric exercise in young and older men

The aim of this study was to examine the isometric endurance response and the heart rate and blood pressure responses to isometric exercise in two muscle groups in ten young (age 23–29 years) and seven older (age 54–59 years) physically active men with similar estimated forearm and thigh muscle masses. Isometric contractions were held until fatigue using the finger flexor muscles (handgrip) and with the quadriceps muscle (one-legged knee extension) at 20%, 40%, and 60% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Heart rate and arterial pressure were related to the the individual's contraction times. The isometric endurance response was longer with handgrip than with one-legged knee extension, but no significant difference was observed between the age groups. The isometric endurance response averaged 542 (SEM 57), 153 (SEM 14), and 59 (SEM 5) s for the handgrip, and 276 (SEM 35), 94 (SEM 10) and 48 (SEM 5) s for the knee extension at the three MVC levels, respectively. Heart rate and blood pressure became higher during one-legged knee extension than during handgrip, and with increasing level of contraction. The older subjects had a lower heart rate and a higher blood pressure response than their younger counterparts, and the differences were more apparent at a higher force level. The results would indicate that increasing age is associated with an altered heart rate and blood pressure response to isometric exercise although it does not affect isometric endurance.     

Electrical stimulation superimposed onto voluntary muscular contraction reduces deterioration of both postural control and quadriceps femoris muscle strength

Fatiguing exercise of the quadriceps femoris muscle degrades postural control in human subjects. The aim of this work was to compare the effects of the fatigue of the quadriceps femoris induced by voluntary muscular contraction (VC), and by electrical stimulation (ES) superimposed onto voluntary muscular contraction (VC+ES), on postural control and muscle strength. Fourteen healthy young adults participated in the study. Postural control and muscle strength were evaluated using a stable force platform and an isokinetic dynamometer, respectively, before (PRE condition) and after the completion of each fatiguing exercise (immediately: POST condition; after a 5 min recovery time: POST 5 condition). In POST, both postural control and muscle strength were impaired by both fatiguing exercises. However, the impairment was higher for VC than for VC+ES. In POST 5, for both fatiguing exercises, postural control recovered its initial level while muscle strength did not. These results suggest that superimposing ES onto voluntary muscular contractions (VCs) impaired muscle strength and postural control less than did VCs alone. However the duration of recovery of these two neurophysiological functions did not differ for the two fatiguing exercises. For both exercises, postural control was restored faster than the ability to produce muscular strength.     

Isometric strength,endurance, and the blood pressure and heart rate responses during isometric exercise in healthy men and women,with special reference to age and body fat content

The relationship of sex, age, and body fat content were assessed on the maximal voluntary strength (MVC), the endurance of a sustained contraction held at 40% of the subject's maximal strength, and the associated changes in blood pressure and heart rate. Isometric hand-grip strength was, as expected, greater in men than in women; however, in both sexes, age was inversely related to isometric strength, particularly in women. Body fat content, however, was directly related to strength. In contrast, in both male and female subjects aging was directly related to isometric endurance while body fat content was now inversely related to isometric endurance. The increase in heart rate throughout a fatiguing contraction at 40% MVC was strikingly similar in men and women. Heart rate, which always increased during exercise, attained its highest magnitude during exercise in the subjects who had the highest resting heart rates. However, older subjects displayed a smaller increase in exercising heart rates than younger subjects. The blood pressure at the end of the 40% MVC was directly related to the resting blood pressure. However, aging and body fat content both increased the resting systolic blood pressure in men and women; this aging effect was further exaggerated during the exercise.     

Stimulated and voluntary fatiguing contractions of quadriceps femoris differently disturb postural control

Muscle fatigue affects muscle strength and postural control. However, it is not known whether impaired postural control after fatiguing muscular exercise depends on the nature of the muscle contraction. To answer this question, the present study analyzes changes in postural control after two fatiguing exercises of equal duration and intensity but that induced different magnitudes of strength loss. The effects of fatiguing contractions of the femoris quadriceps were compared for voluntary muscular contraction (VOL) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ES) on muscle strength and postural control. Seventeen subjects completed these two fatiguing exercises. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and postural control were recorded using an isokinetic dynamometer and a force platform that recorded the center of foot pressure. Recordings were performed before and after the completion of both fatiguing tasks. Results indicate that, after a fatiguing exercise, the ES exercise affected MVC more than the VOL exercise. Inversely, postural control was disturbed more after VOL exercise than after ES exercise. In conclusion, postural control disturbance is influenced by the nature of the muscular contraction (voluntary vs. non-voluntary) and the type of the motor unit solicited (tonic vs. phasic) rather than by the magnitude of strength loss.     

The effect of previous weight training and concurrent weight training on endurance for functional electrical stimulation cycle ergometry

Forty-five paraplegic subjects participated in three series of experiments to examine the interrelationships between previous weight training, concurrent weight training and muscle strength and endurance during cycle ergometry elicited by functional electrical stimulation (FES). When subjects only underwent isokinetic weight training (series 1) three times per week on the quadriceps, hamstring and gluteus maximus groups for 12 weeks, strength increased linearly with time for all three muscle groups from an initial average of 17 N to 269 N at the end of training, a 15-fold increase. In the second series of experiments, different groups of subjects either underwent no strength training prior to cycle ergometry or underwent strength training of these same three muscle groups for 2 weeks, four weeks, or 6 weeks prior to cycle ergometry. Any strength training was effective in increasing endurance for cycle ergometry. However, the rate of increase in endurance during cycle ergometry with no prior strength training was only 5 min per week, whereas the rate of increase in cycle endurance during ergometry was 14.6, 25.0, and 33.3 min per week increase in endurance after strength training for 2.4 and 6 weeks, respectively. When weight training was accomplished during FES cycle ergometry (concurrently) in a third series of experiments, there was an additional increase in endurance during cycling if strength training was concurrently accomplished. With no weight training, endurance increased 23 min per week, whereas with concurrent weight training at three times per week, endurance increased during cycling by 41.6 min per week. The results of these experiments seem to show a clear advantage of weight training concurrently and before FES cycle ergometry. Results are given as mean (SD).     

Stimulated and voluntary fatiguing contractions of quadriceps femoris similarly disturb postural control in the bipedal stance

The aim of this work was to compare the effects of fatigue of the quadriceps femoris after fatiguing voluntary contractions (VOL) and fatiguing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ES) on bipedal postural control. Nineteen active male subjects (22.2 ± 1.7 years) completed these two fatiguing exercises. Isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and postural control were recorded using an ergometer and a force platform that registered the center of foot pressure (COP). We analyzed the COP surface, the mean COP velocity and the spectral power density given by the wavelet transform. Recordings were performed before (PRE condition) and after the completion of each fatiguing task (immediately POST condition, after a 5 min recovery POST 5 condition). In POST condition, the ES exercise affected MVC more than the VOL exercise. However, bipedal postural control was similarly deteriorated for both exercises. In POST 5 condition, for both fatiguing exercises, muscle strength and postural control did not recover their initial level. These results suggest that the postural control disturbance could not be distinguished for the two fatiguing exercises in the bipedal stance. In addition, the recovery speeds of postural control and muscle strength abilities did not differ for the ES exercise and the VOL exercise.     

Cycle-to-cycle control of swing phase of paraplegic gait induced by surface electrical stimulation

Parameterised swing phase of gait in paraplegics was obtained using surface electrical stimulation of the hip flexors, hamstrings and quadriceps; the hip flexors were stimulated to obtain a desired hip angle range, the hamstrings to provide foot clearance in the forward swing, and the quadriceps to acquire knee extension at the end of the swing phase. We report on two main aspects; optimisation of the initial stimulation parameters, and parameter adaption (control). The initial stimulation patterns were experimentally optimised in two paraplegic subjects using a controlled stand device, resulting in an initial satisfactory swinging motion in both subjects. Intersubject differences appeared in the mechanical output (torque joint) per muscle group. During a prolonged open-loop controlled trial with the optimised but unregulated stimulation onsets and burst duration for the three muscle groups, the hip angle range per cycle initially increased above the desired value and subsequently decreased below it. The mechanical performance of the hamstrings and quadriceps remained relatively unaffected. A cycle-to-cycle controller was then designed, operating on the basis of the hip angle ranges obtained in previous swings. This controller successfully adapted the burst duration of the hip flexors to maintain the desired hip angle range.     

Variability of the fatigue response of paralyzed skeletal muscle in relation to the time after spinal cord injury: mechanical and electrophysiological characteristics

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the time after spinal cord injury (less than and greater than 10 months) on the mechanical and electrophysiological characteristics of muscle fatigue of the paralyzed electrically stimulated quadriceps muscle. Morphologically and histochemically, a relationship was observed between muscle fatigue and the delay from injury, revealing a critical period of enzymatic turning and a maximum peak of atrophy around the 10th month after the injury, followed by a long-term stabilization. Knee-torque output and M-wave variables (amplitude, latency, duration, and root mean square, RMS) of two muscular heads of the quadriceps were recorded in 19 paraplegic patients during a 120-s isometric contraction. The fatiguing muscle contraction was elicited by supramaximal continuous 20-Hz electrical stimulation. Compared to the chronic group, the acutely paralyzed group showed a greater resistance to fatigue (amount and rate of force decline, P?≤?0.01), smaller alterations of the M-wave amplitude and RMS, and a limited decrease of the muscle fiber conduction velocity (P?相似文献   

The blood pressure response during isometric exercise in fast and slow twitch skeletal muscle in the cat

Summary The blood pressure response during fatiguing isometric contractions was examined in a slow twitch muscle (the soleus) and a mixed muscle (the medial gastrocnemius) of the cat. The results of these experiments showed that electrical stimulation of the ventral roots of the spinal cord which carried the efferent innervation to the soleus muscle failed to result in a blood pressure response during isometric exercise. Further, although stimulation of the fast twitch motor units in the medial gastrocnemius muscle was associated with a potent pressor response to isometric exercise, stimulation of the slow twitch motor units was associated with a markedly reduced response throughout the duration of the exercise. These findings infer that the pressor response to isometric exercise may be a function of the fast twitch motor units in the muscle.     

Effects of self-regulatory strength depletion on muscular performance and EMG activation

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a self-regulatory strength depletion manipulation on performance of a physical endurance (isometric handgrip) task. In addition, the effect of depletion on EMG activity in the working forearm muscles during the endurance task was explored. Sedentary undergraduates (N=49) were randomly assigned to either a cognitive depletion condition (modified Stroop task) or a control (color word) group and completed two maximal isometric exercise endurance trials separated by the cognitive task. Participants in the depletion group showed significant (p<.05) degradations in performance and exhibited higher EMG activation on the second endurance trial (p<.05) compared to controls. Results are consistent with the limited strength model of self-regulation and are interpreted in light of the central fatigue hypothesis.     

Isometric and dynamic endurance as a function of age and skeletal muscle characteristics.

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of age on endurance of human skeletal muscle. An attempt was made to correlate muscular performance at various ages with some morphological and enzymatic characteristics of the muscle. Fifty healthy men, 22-65 years of age, with low daily physical activity (clerks) volunteered for the study. Isometric and dynamic endurance were determined under standardized conditions and measured in relation to maximum strength, thereby correcting for individual as well as age differences in maximum strength. Biopsies taken from the quadriceps muscle were used for muscle fibre classification, fibre area determinations, and measurements of some enzyme activities (Mg2+ stimulated ATPase, myokinase (MK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),LDH isozymes). Maximum isometric and dynamic strength decreased in the older groups while no significant change was seen in isometric or dynamic endurance. Significant correlations were observed between endurance and fibre type distribution, fibre areas, and LDH isozyme activities.     

Isometric strength and endurance during the menstrual cycle

Seven healthy young women, 3 of whom had been taking oral contraceptives, were examined during the course of 2 menstrual cycles to assess their isometric strength, their endurance during a series of 5 fatiguing isometric contractions at a tension of 40% MVC, and their blood pressures and heart rates during those fatiguing contractions. Two sets of experiments were performed, one in which the subject's forearm temperature was allowed to vary as a function of T _A , and one with the muscle temperature stabilized by immersion of the forearm in water at 37 C. During exposure to ambient temperatures, isometric strength and both the heart rate and blood pressure responses at rest and at the end of a fatiguing, sustained isometric exercise, were not significantly different during any phase of the menstrual cycle in any subject. In contrast, the isometric endurance in the women not taking oral contraceptives varied sinusoidally in all 5 contractions with a peak endurance midway through the ovulatory phase and the lowest endurance mid-way through the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The isometric endurance of the women taking oral contraceptives did not vary during their menstrual cycle. After stabilization of the temperature of the muscles of the forearm in water at 37 C, the isometric endurance of the normal subjects showed a hyperbolic response with the maximal endurance at the beginning and end of their cycles, and the shortest endurance at mid-cycle. Here again, however, the isometric endurance of the women taking oral contraceptives did not vary after immersion of their forearms in the 37 C water.     

Comparison of muscle sympathetic nerve activity during exercise in dominant and nondominant forearm

Summary To determine whether or not muscle endurance training alters exercise-induced sympathetic nerve response, we recorded muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) microneurographically during forearm exercise and compared MSNA between dominant (D) and nondominant (ND) forearms of players of racket sports. Three kinds of forearm exercise were conducted on each side; static (SHG) and dynamic (DHG, at a rate of 1 Hz) handgrip exercise at a loading of 25°10 of maximal voluntary contraction until exhaustion, and 10-min submaximal dynamic handgrip (at a rate of 1 Hz) at an intensity of 0.9 W. Heart rate, ventilation and blood pressure were also monitored at rest and during SHG and DHG exercises. During the last minute of SHG exercise, MSNA burst rate had increased on average by 290 (SEM 46) % in D and 330 (SEM 46) % in ND, while during DHG it increased by 288 (SEM 38) % in D and 344 (SEM 36) % in ND, respectively. There were no significant differences in the MSNA responses between D and ND forearms in either exercise modes. Significant increases in heart rate, ventilation and blood pressure during the last minute of fatiguing SHG and DHG were observed, but there were no significant differences between the two forearms. During submaximal DHG, while MSNA increased significantly above control values in both D and ND, the MSNA response was less in D than that in ND forearm. The results would suggest that exercise-induced MSNA responsiveness is influenced little by muscle endurance training but the intensity of response may be due to the magnitude of metaboreceptor stimulation in the exercising muscle.     

Computer analysis of the surface EMG during isometric exercise

A computer program is described which can provide either on-line or off-line analysis of the surface electromyogram (EMG) in man during submaximal isometric contractions. The intention of the program was to quantify the tension developed by, and the degree of fatigue induced in muscle during this form of exertion from the surface EMG. Six male and female volunteers served as subjects to test the program by exerting brief isometric contractions of their handgrip muscles at tensions ranging from 3 to 100% of their maximum strength and fatiguing isometric contractions at tensions ranging between 20 and 95% of their maximum strength. The results of these experiments showed that the program was able to estimate the tension developed by muscle within an average of 2.4% of the subject's maximum strength and estimate the duration of fatigue contractions within an average of 3.5% of the actual recorded endurance. The applications of this form of analysis to work physiology are discussed.     

Quadriceps inhibition after repetitive lumbar extension exercise in persons with a history of low back pain

Context: A neuromuscular relationship exists between the lumbar extensor and quadriceps muscles during fatiguing exercise. However, this relationship may be different for persons with low back pain (LBP). Objective: To compare quadriceps inhibition after isometric, fatiguing lumbar extension exercise between persons with a history of LBP and control subjects. Design: A 2 x 3 factorial, repeated-measures, time-series design with independent variables of group (persons with a history of LBP, controls) and time (baseline, postexercise set 1, postexercise set 2). Setting: University research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-five subjects with a history of LBP were matched by sex, height, and mass to 25 healthy control subjects. Intervention(s): Electromyography median frequency indexed lumbar paraspinal muscular fatigue while subjects performed 2 sets of isometric lumbar extension exercise. Subjects exercised until a 15% downward shift in median frequency for the first set and a 25% shift for the second set were demonstrated. Main Outcome Measure(s): Knee extension force was measured while subjects performed an isometric maximal quadriceps contraction. During this maximal effort, a percutaneous electric stimulus was applied to the quadriceps, causing a transient, supramaximal increase in force output. We used the ratio between the 2 forces to estimate quadriceps inhibition. Quadriceps electromyographic activity was recorded during the maximal contractions to compare median frequencies over time. Results: Both groups exhibited significantly increased quadriceps inhibition after the first (12.6% +/- 10.0%, P < .001) and second (15.2% +/- 9.7%, P < .001) exercise sets compared with baseline (9.6% +/- 9.3%). However, quadriceps inhibition was not different between groups. Conclusions: Persons with a history of LBP do not appear to be any more or less vulnerable to quadriceps inhibition after fatiguing lumbar extension exercise.     

Maximal strength and power characteristics in isometric and dynamic actions of the upper and lower extremities in middle-aged and older men.

Muscle cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris (CSAQF), maximal isometric strength (handgrip test and unilateral knee extension/flexion), the shape of isometric force-time curves, and power-load curves during concentric and stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) actions with loads ranging from 15 to 70% of one repetition maximum half-squat (1RMHS) and bench-press (1RMBP) were examined in 26 middle-aged men in the 40-year-old (M40) (mean age 42, range 35-46) and 21 elderly men in the 65-year-old age group (M65) (mean age 65, range 60-74). Maximal bilateral concentric (1RMHS and 1RMBP), unilateral knee extension (isometric; MIFKE and concentric; 1RMKE) strength and muscle CSA in M65 were lower (P < 0.001) than in M40. The individual values of the CSAQF correlated with the individual values of maximal concentric 1RMHS, 1RMKE and MIFKE in M65, while the corresponding correlations were lower in M40. The maximal MIFKE value per CSA of 4.54 +/- 0.7 N m cm-2 in M40 was greater (P < 0. 05-0.01) than that of 4.02 +/- 0.7 N m cm-2 recorded in M65. The maximal rate of force development of the knee extensors and flexors in M65 was lower (P < 0.01-0.001) and the heights in squat and counter-movement jumps as much as 27-29% lower (P < 0.001) than those recorded in M40. M65 showed lower (P < 0.001) concentric power values for both upper and lower extremity performances than those recorded for M40. Maximal power output was maximized at the 30-45% loads for the upper extremity and at the 60-70% loads for the lower extremity extensors in both age groups. Muscle activation of the antagonists was significantly higher (P < 0.01-0.001) during the isometric and dynamic knee extension actions in M65 than in M40. The present results support a general concept that parallel declines in muscle mass and maximal strength take place with increasing age, although loss of strength may vary in both lower and upper extremity muscles in relation to the type of action and that ageing may also lead to a decrease in voluntary neural drive to the muscles. Explosive strength and power seem to decrease with increasing age even more than maximal isometric strength in both actions but power was maximized at the 30-45% loads for the upper and at the 60-70% loads for the lower extremity action in both age groups. High antagonist muscle activity may limit the full movement efficiency depending on the type of muscle action, testing conditions and the velocity and/or the time duration of the action, especially in the elderly.     

Cardiac effects of short term arm crank training in paraplegics: echocardiographic evidence

Summary The cardiac responses of male paraplegics to upper-body endurance training have been studied by M-mode echocardiography and CO₂-rebreathing determination of cardiac output. Data for nine exercised subjects are compared with 5 controls. After 16 weeks of arm ergometer exercise, heart rates of trained individuals were 9 bt · min^–1 lower during isometric handgrip effort (30% of MVC for 3 min), with a substantial decrease of rate pressure product (20%;p<0.05). In contrast (possibly because of greater anticipation) the control subjects developed a larger rate-pressure product with repitition of the standard isometric effort. Despite a significant increase of peak (19% and 31% after 8 and 16 weeks, respectively;p<0.05), echocardiographic LV mass, dimensions and indices of LV performance were unchanged by training, either at rest or during the isometric handgrip. Stroke volumes were significantly increased by 12–16% after training, both in isometric and in rhythmic work; at the highest intensity of arm ergometry, there was also a suggestion of increased cardiac output. We conclude that (1) a short period of arm training is insufficient to induce cardiac hypertrophy, (2) an increase of stroke volume with a decreased ratepressure product but no change in echocardioraphic indices of LV performance implies an improved myocardial efficiency. Possible explanations are (1) a greater strength of the trained arms, and (2) some increase of pre-loading (due to an increase of venous tone and more effective operation of the muscle pump after training).     

Mechanical and electrical correlates of isometric muscle fatigue in skeletal muscle in the cat

The amplitude and duration of motor unit action potentials, the rise time, peak tension, and half relaxation time of an isometric twitch, and forcevelocity relationship, and tetanic tension were measured at the beginning (fresh muscle) and at the end of a fatiguing isometric contraction at a tension of either 40 or 70% of the initial strength in the soleus (a slow twitch muscle) and the medial gastrocnemius (a fast twitch muscle) of the cat. These same parameters were also measured at set intervals following these contractions to assess their rate of recovery to pre-exercise values. At The end of a fatiguing contraction examined,V _mx, twitch tension and tetanic tension, were all reduced while there was a prolonged twitch duration and duration of the motor unit action potential for both types of muscle. The height of the motor unit action potential was only marginally effected by muscle fatigue. Following the fatiguing contraction, the endurance required several hours to recover in the medial gastrocnemius muscle but recovered fully within 15 min after either tension in the soleus muscle. Tetanic tension and twitch tension both required less than 10 min for full recovery in the medial gastrocnemius muscle but recovered fully to the pre-exercise values within 3 min following fatiguing isometric contractions in the soleus muscles.V _mx, and the height and duration of the motor unit action potential both recovered within 1 min following the end of the exercise.