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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 577/2/753    most recent jphysiol.2006.117986v1 Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pasquet, B. Articles by Duchateau, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pasquet, B. Articles by Duchateau, J. Related Collections Integrative

¹ Laboratory of Applied Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 28 avenue P. Héger, CP 168, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

This study examines the effect of a change in fascicle length on motor unit recruitment and discharge rate in the human tibialis anterior during shortening and lengthening contractions that involved a similar change in torque. The dorsiflexor torque and the surface and intramuscular electromyograms (EMGs) from the tibialis anterior were recorded in eight subjects. The behaviour of the same motor unit (n = 63) was compared during submaximal shortening and lengthening contractions performed at a constant velocity (10 deg s^–1) with the dorsiflexor muscles over a 20 deg range of motion around the ankle neutral position. Muscle fascicle length was measured non-invasively using ultrasonography. Motor units that were active during a shortening contraction were always active during the subsequent lengthening contraction. Furthermore, additional motor units (n = 18) of higher force threshold that were recruited during the shortening contraction to maintain the required torque were derecruited first during the following lengthening contraction. Although the change in fascicle length was linear (r² > 0.99), and similar for both shortening and lengthening contractions, modulation of discharge rate differed during the two contractions. Compared with an initial isometric contraction at short (11.9 ± 2.4 Hz) or long (11.7 ± 2.2 Hz) muscle length, discharge rate increased only slightly and stayed nearly constant throughout the lengthening contraction (12.6 ± 2.0 Hz; P < 0.05) whereas it augmented progressively and more substantially during the shortening contraction, reaching 14.5 ± 2.5 Hz (P < 0.001) at the end of the movement. In conclusion, these observations indicate a clear difference in motor unit discharge rate modulation with no change in their recruitment order between shortening and lengthening contractions when performed with a similar change in muscle fascicle length and torque.

(Received 26 July 2006; accepted after revision 6 September 2006; first published online 6 September 2006)
Corresponding author J. Duchateau: Laboratory of Applied Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 28 avenue P. Héger, CP 168, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Email: jduchat{at}ulb.ac.be

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