The effect of knee joint angle on neuromuscular changes after an exercise-induced muscle damage
Résumé
It has been well established that performing a bout of unaccustomed, predominantly eccentric exercise may result in a short (immediately post: fatigue) and long-lasting (> 24 h: muscle damage) muscle function deficit and neuromuscular function (NMF) alterations. The peripheral (i.e., muscle) changes are mainly assessed by electrical stimulation of motor nerves at rest. The characteristics of the evoked response to electrical stimulation could inform about the mechanical and contractile state of the muscle. These mechanical and contractile properties are known to be modified by joint angle (short vs. long muscle lengths). However, the effect of joint angle on NMF alterations evaluated after fatiguing and/or damaging exercise is currently debated, possibly because of differences of resting stiffness across muscles and lengths. The first aim of the present study was to investigate whether the most commonly NM function assessments were differently affected by the articular joint angle after a fatiguing/damaging exercise. We hypothesized that NMF would be less affected at long muscle length compared to short muscle length owing to the higher resting stiffness and greater force transmission. The second aim was to investigate whether the muscle-tendon complex, within a muscle group, would be differently modified by articular joint angle after exercise.
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