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Int J Sports Med 2014; 35(07): 566-570
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1358672
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Validating the EMGFT from a Single Incremental Cycling Test

M. J. Briscoe
1   Health Care Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
,
M. S. Forgach
1   Health Care Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
,
E. Trifan
1   Health Care Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
,
M. H. Malek
1   Health Care Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, United States
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted after revision 16 September 2013

Publication Date:
13 November 2013 (online)

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Abstract

The purposes of this study were to 1) identify the EMGFT from a single incremental cycle ergometry test and 2) validate this fatigue threshold by having participants perform constant workload rides at 70, 100 and 130% of the estimated EMGFT. 11 healthy college-age participants performed incremental cycle ergometry on the initial visit. The EMG amplitude was recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle for each power output and fitted with linear regression which provided the estimated EMGFT. In subsequent visits, participants exercised at 3 percentages of their EMGFT with the EMG amplitude recorded for each condition. The results indicated no significant (p>0.05) increases in EMG amplitude vs. time for the 70% and 100% workloads, respectively. In addition, the participants were able to maintain these exercise intensities for over 40 min. For the 130% workload, however, EMG amplitude vs. time increased significantly (p<0.001) and the participants were able to maintain the exercise condition for less than 12 min. These findings indicate that the EMGFT estimated from a single incremental cycle ergometry test is a valid measure of neuromuscular fatigue and may potentially be useful in assessing the efficacy of rehabilitative interventions.

Key words

exercise physiology - fatigue - motor unit recruitment
 

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