Biceps Brachii Muscle Fatigue Assessment Through EMG Median Frequency Analysis

Abstract

In this study, Surface electromyography (sEMG) signal is used to evaluate the biceps brachii muscle byestimating the muscle fatigue during isometric contraction. A sample of eight males performed an isometricaction using the biceps brachii muscle with different levels of force and loads. The sEMG signal wasrecorded for 120 seconds intervals without rest in order to achieve the fatigue, the recorded signals wereanalysed to find parameters in the sEMG that could estimate the muscle fatigue. The median frequency(MDF) of the power spectral density (PSD) and the root mean square value (RMS) were used as spectraland temporal variables to assess fatigue. Decreasing trend was found for (MDF) with time as the bicepsmuscle fatigues while the (RMS) did not express consistent tendency with the fatigue process. Leastsquare regression line model was adopted for each variable to form an index for fatigue assessment.