Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 296, Issue 1, 15 December 2000, Pages 45-48
Neuroscience Letters

Changes in electromyogram during upper limb muscle contraction induced by resistive loaded breathing in humans

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(00)01620-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Expiratory only resistive loaded breathing (RL) reduces high energy electromyogram (EMG) power (EH) during an isometric contraction of a leg extensor muscle, but not an arm flexor. An interaction between afferent activity during expiratory RL and inspiratory non-loaded phases of breathing, which the contraction spanned, could have accounted for the reduced EH in these long contractions. Therefore this study tested the hypothesis that brief arm extensor muscle contractions (70% of maximal force), performed during a single phase of expiratory RL, would also exhibit reduced EH. Surprisingly, EH in triceps, but not biceps brachii was reduced significantly when the contraction was performed during inspiratory RL rather than expiratory RL. The results suggest that either (a) short and prolonged contractions or (b) motor drive to arm and leg extensors are affected differently by RL.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust (052854 and VS/00–002) and the help of E. Crisp is gratefully acknowledged.

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