Relationship between the intensity of muscle contraction and muscie oxygenation of the m. rectus femoris during dynamic knee extension

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the intensity of muscle contraction and muscle oxygenation during dynamic knee extension. Six healthy male subjects (age 24.6±1.2 years) performed knee extension (concentric : 1 s/eccentric : 1 s) to exhaustion at 3 different intensities, 30%, 20% and 10% of maximum voluntary contractile strength (MVC). A near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) probe and surface electrodes of the electromyogram were fixed on the m. rectus femoris. The muscle oxygenation and integral electromyogram (IEMG) were recorded both during and after dynamic knee extension. The summary of the results was as follows. 1) Continuous time of knee extension decreased with increasing intensity of muscle contraction. There were significant differences between 10%MVC and 20%MVC (p<0.001), and 10%MVC and 30%MVC (p<0.001). 2) The oxy-hemoglobin level during knee extension decreased with increasing intensity of muscle contraction. There were significant differences between 10%MVC and 30%MVC (p<0.001), 20%MVC and 30%MVC (p<0.001), and 10%MVC and 20%MVC (p<0.05). 3) Recovery time after knee extension increased with increasing intensity of muscle contraction. There were significant differences between 10%MVC and 30%MVC (p<0.01), and 20%MVC and 30%MVC (p<0.01). 4) The IEMG increased with increasing time of knee extension. The maximum value was observed just before completing the knee extension on the IEMG. The rate of increase in the IEMG increased with decreasing intensity of muscle contraction. These results suggest that muscle oxygenation during dynamic knee extension decreases with increasing intensity of muscle contraction, and influences continuous time of muscle contraction.