Neuromuscular Fatigue Responses of Endurance- and Strength-Trained Athletes during Incremental Cycling Exercise

Maciej Jurasz, Michał Boraczyński, Zbigniew Wójcik and Piotr Gronek
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Maciej Jurasz: Department of Sport Medicine and Traumatology, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznań, Poland
Michał Boraczyński: Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Zbigniew Wójcik: Faculty of Health Sciences, Olsztyn University, 10-283 Olsztyn, Poland
Piotr Gronek: Laboratory of Healthy Aging, Department of Dance and Gymnastics, Poznan University of Physical Education, 61-871 Poznań, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-13

Abstract: This study explored the development of neuromuscular fatigue responses during progressive cycling exercise. The sample comprised 32 participants aged 22.0 ± 0.54 years who were assigned into three groups: endurance-trained group (END, triathletes, n = 10), strength-trained group (STR, bodybuilders, n = 10) and control group (CG, recreationally active students, n = 12). The incremental cycling exercise was performed using a progressive protocol starting with a 3 min resting measurement and then 50 W workload with subsequent constant increments of 50 W every 3 min until 200 W. Surface electromyography (SEMG) of rectus femoris muscles was recorded during the final 30 s of each of the four workloads. During the final 15 s of each workload, participants rated their overall perception of effort using the 20-point rating of the perceived exertion (RPE) scale. Post hoc Tukey’s HSD testing showed significant differences between the END and STR groups in median frequency and mean power frequency across all workloads ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Athletes from the END group had significantly lower electromyogram amplitude responses than those from the STR ( p = 0.0093) and CG groups ( p = 0.0006). Increasing RPE points from 50 to 200 W were significantly higher in the STR than in the END group ( p < 0.001). In conclusion, there is a significant variation in the neuromuscular fatigue profiles between athletes with different training backgrounds when a cycling exercise is applied. The approximately linear trends of the SEMG and RPE values of both groups of athletes with increasing workload support the increased skeletal muscle recruitment with perceived exertion or fatiguing effect.

Keywords: neuromuscular fatigue; muscle bioelectrical activity; rating of perceived exertion; cycling exercise (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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