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Three different motor task strategies to assess neuromuscular adjustments during fatiguing muscle contractions in young and older men

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Abstract

Healthy aging is associated with a marked decline in motor performance. The functional consequences of applying varying novel or unexpected motor stimuli during intermittent isometric prolonged (fatiguing) motor tasks for lower limb neuromuscular fatigability and steadiness, perception of effort, and blood markers of stress in healthy aged men compared with young men have not been investigated. The participants in this study were 15 young men (aged 22 ± 4 years) and 10 older men (aged 67 ± 6 years). They performed 100 intermittent isometric knee extensions under three experimental conditions involving intermittent isometric contraction tasks according to constant, predictable, and unpredictable torque target sequences. The variability in maximal voluntary contraction averaged 50%, and was 25, 50, and 75% for the three strategies. All included a 5-s contraction and 20-s rest. The main variables were measured before exercise, after 100 repetitions, and 1 h after exercise. In all experimental trials, the decreases in the maximal voluntary contraction and central activation ratio, and the increases in effort sensation and muscle temperature, were smaller in older men than in younger men. The coefficient of variation during the motor performance did not differ between age groups. However, in all three strategies, the dopamine concentration was significantly higher in older than in younger men. The prolactin concentration did not differ significantly between age groups or conditions, although its decrease during loading correlated negatively with the central activation ratio.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mrs. Danute Juciene for collecting the blood samples and gathering the volunteers to participate in this research. Funding for this work was provided by the Research Council of Lithuania (Grant no. MIP-017/2014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Biology and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto Str. 6, 44221, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Laura Kyguoliene, Albertas Skurvydas & Marius Brazaitis

  2. Institute of Sports Science and Innovation, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto Str. 6, 44221, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Albertas Skurvydas, Nerijus Eimantas, Neringa Baranauskiene, Henrikas Paulauskas, Margarita Cernych & Marius Brazaitis

  3. Department of Laboratory Medicines, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Science, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Rasa Steponaviciute

  4. Department of Physical Education, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Laura Daniuseviciute

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  1. Laura Kyguoliene
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  2. Albertas Skurvydas
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Contributions

The authors AS and MB contributed to the design of the work. The authors LK, NE, NB, MC, and HP performed the experiments. The authors LK, AS, MB, RS, LD, HP, and MC contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data for the work. The authors LK, AS, and MB drafted the work for important intellectual content. All authors finally approved the version to be submitted. The author MB contributed to the revision of this work. All the authors agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

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Correspondence to Marius Brazaitis.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Kyguoliene, L., Skurvydas, A., Eimantas, N. et al. Three different motor task strategies to assess neuromuscular adjustments during fatiguing muscle contractions in young and older men. Exp Brain Res 236, 2085–2096 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-018-5285-4

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