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Postactivation potentiation in a human muscle: effect on the rate of torque development of tetanic and voluntary isometric contractions

Laboratory of Applied Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Submitted 6 November 2006 ; accepted in final form 2 January 2007

Postactivation potentiation (PAP), a mechanism by which the torque of a muscle twitch is increased following a conditioning contraction, is well documented in muscular physiology, but little is known about its effect on the maximal rate of torque development and functional significance during voluntary movements. The objective of this study was to investigate the PAP effect on the rate of isometric torque development of electrically induced and voluntary contractions. To that purpose, the electromechanical responses of the thumb adductor muscles to a single electrical stimulus (twitch), a train of 15 pulses at 250 Hz (HFT₂₅₀), and during ballistic (i.e., rapid torque development) voluntary contractions at torque levels ranging from 10 to 75% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) were recorded before and after a conditioning 6-s MVC. The results showed that the rate of torque development was significantly (P < 0.001) increased after the conditioning MVC, but the effect was greater for the twitch (200%) compared with the HFT₂₅₀ (17%) or ballistic contractions (range: 9–24%). Although twitch potentiation was maximal immediately after the conditioning MVC, maximal potentiation for HFT₂₅₀ and ballistic contractions was delayed to 1 min after the 6-s MVC. Furthermore, the similar degree of potentiation for the rate of isometric torque development between tetanic and voluntary ballistic contractions indicates that PAP is not related to the modality of muscle activation. These observations suggest that PAP may be considered as a mechanism that can influence our contractions during daily tasks and can be utilized to improve muscle performance in explosive sports.

skeletal muscle; contractile properties; electrical stimulation

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