Editorial: Investigating the human brain and muscle coupling during whole-body challenging exercise

Abstract

Research into correlates and determinants (causal relationship) of fatigue has burgeoned in the past two decades. However the link between cortical activity and muscle force generation on fatigue that develops during exercise is not very well understood. While there is extensive evidence suggesting that the central nervous system can contribute to the inability of a human being to sustain a motor task, some questions are unsolved. Is fatigue a sensed variable? Could substantial progress in neurophysiological techniques have additional benefits in the understanding of fatigue? What have we learned and what happens next? Answers require likely the combined insights not only from physiologists, but of neuroscientists and psychologists. Recent research in this area presents three trends providing current interests and opinions in the field.