Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 PhD in Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kharazmi University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor at Exercise Physiology Department, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kharazmi University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3 Professor at Exercise Physiology Department, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kharazmi University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
4 Associate Professor at Institute of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
5 Professor at School of Medical and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
Background and Aim: Changes in corticospinal excitability will cause a change in the neural output and finally the maximum force will be changed. Various training and non-training factors affect this neuromuscular response and it seems that the intensity of the intervention is one of the effective factors in this regard. Based on this, the present study sought to investigate the response of corticospinal excitability to different intensities of postactivation potentiation in young trained subjects. Materials and Methods: Eight young men (24.8±2.70 year) performed the research protocol in three separate sessions with preparatory contractions during the handgrip movement with intensities of 20, 50 and 80% root mean square of maximal voluntary contraction. Several times after that, the amount of corticospinal excitability, the electrical activity of the flexor carpi radialis muscle (FCR) and the maximum force in the hangrip were measured with a dynamometer. Then, the results were extracted by using the statistical method of repeated-measures analysis of variance at a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The amplitude of motor evoked potential increased after preparatory contraction with intensity of 20%, but it decreased significantly after intensity of 50% and 80%; so that, there was no significant difference between the intensity of 50% and 80%. On the other hand, the amount of voluntary force measured by the maximum voluntary contraction did not show any significant change as well as the electrical activity immediately and after 5 minutes of preparatory contraction. Conclusion: None of the changes in corticospinal excitability were associated with changes in muscle strength and electrical activity. Therefore, there is a complex interaction between changes in supraspinal excitability following preparatory contractions and their effect on an individual’s ability to improve or maintain force output, and further investigations are needed in this area.
Keywords
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