Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the time course of fatigue in torque output and oxygen
uptake during isometric subtetanic neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to
facilitate the design of NMES-based rehabilitation protocols that can accumulate
a defined aerobic exercise volume within a given time period. DESIGN: Single-arm
intervention study with within-subject comparisons. SETTING: University research
laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteer sample of healthy men (N=11; mean age, 34.2
+/- 11.5 y; range, 19-53 y; body mass, 79.1 +/- 11.7 kg; range, 58-100 kg).
INTERVENTION: A single 30-minute session of continuous bilateral isometric
quadriceps NMES at 4 Hz evoking a mean twitch amplitude of 12% of the maximum
voluntary contraction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Whole body oxygen consumption rate
(V o2), and evoked torque were measured simultaneously throughout. RESULTS: Mean
increment in V o2 was 596 +/- 238 mL/min, and average exercise intensity during
the session was 3 +/-.47 metabolic equivalents. The V o2 and torque declined
slowly at a rate of -.54%+/-.31% and -.47%+/-.57% per minute, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite having a higher incremental V o2, the observed fatigue rate
was considerably less than that previously reported during intermittent isometric
tetanic stimulation, suggesting that subtetanic isometric NMES is more
sustainable for exercise interventions aimed at accumulating a therapeutic
aerobic exercise volume.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS