Article

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of unilateral and bilateral
muscle fatigue on monopedal postural control. Nineteen subjects completed
bilateral fatiguing contractions and unilateral fatiguing contractions of the
quadriceps femoris until the torque output for both exercises dropped below 30%
of the measured peak torque (the time to task failure was measured) for three
consecutive contractions (independently measured for each leg). Postural control
was evaluated by using a force platform which recorded center of foot pressure
(COP) and was measured before and after the completion of both fatiguing tasks.
Spatio-temporal COP parameters were used to evaluate postural control. The
unilateral contractions affected monopedal postural control more than the
bilateral fatiguing contractions (p<0.05). Moreover, the time to task failure was
significantly longer for the unilateral contractions than for the bilateral
contractions (p<0.05). The greater alteration of postural control for the
unilateral fatiguing contractions compared to the bilateral fatiguing
contractions could be related to a longer time to task failure which could
provoke greater disturbances of the postural system in terms of sensory input and
motor output.
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Langue : ANGLAIS