HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 106/3/975    most recent 91474.2008v1 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Burnley, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Burnley, M.

Estimation of critical torque using intermittent isometric maximal voluntary contractions of the quadriceps in humans

Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion, United Kingdom

Submitted 12 November 2008 ; accepted in final form 13 January 2009

To determine whether the asymptote of the torque-duration relationship (critical torque) could be estimated from the torque measured at the end of a series of maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of the quadriceps, eight healthy men performed eight laboratory tests. Following familiarization, subjects performed two tests in which they were required to perform 60 isometric MVCs over a period of 5 min (3 s contraction, 2 s rest), and five tests involving intermittent isometric contractions at 35–60% MVC, each performed to task failure. Critical torque was determined using linear regression of the torque impulse and contraction time during the submaximal tests, and the end-test torque during the MVCs was calculated from the mean of the last six contractions of the test. During the MVCs voluntary torque declined from 263.9 ± 44.6 to 77.8 ± 17.8 N·m. The end-test torque was not different from the critical torque (77.9 ± 15.9 N·m; 95% paired-sample confidence interval, –6.5 to 6.2 N·m). The root mean squared error of the estimation of critical torque from the end-test torque was 7.1 N·m. Twitch interpolation showed that voluntary activation declined from 90.9 ± 6.5% to 66.9 ± 13.1% (P < 0.001), and the potentiated doublet response declined from 97.7 ± 23.0 to 46.9 ± 6.7 N·m (P < 0.001) during the MVCs, indicating the development of both central and peripheral fatigue. These data indicate that fatigue during 5 min of intermittent isometric MVCs of the quadriceps leads to an end-test torque that closely approximates the critical torque.

power-duration relationship; central and peripheral fatigue; isokinetic dynamometry