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01-04-2010 | Original Article

Men and women exhibit a similar time to task failure for a sustained, submaximal elbow extensor contraction

Authors: Douglas J. Dearth, Jonathan Umbel, Richard L. Hoffman, David W. Russ, Thad E. Wilson, Brian C. Clark

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 6/2010

Abstract

Sex differences in muscle fatigue-resistance have been observed in a variety of muscles and under several conditions. This study compared the time to task failure (TTF) of a sustained isometric elbow extensor (intensity 15% of maximal strength) contraction in young men (n = 12) and women (n = 11), and examined if their neurophysiologic adjustments to fatigue differed. Motor-evoked potential amplitude (MEP), silent period duration, interference electromyogram (EMG) amplitude, maximal muscle action potential (M _max), heart rate, and mean arterial pressure were measured at baseline, during the task, and during a 2-min ischemia period. Men and women did not differ in TTF (478.2 ± 31.9 vs. 500.4 ± 41.3 s; P = 0.67). We also performed an exploratory post hoc cluster analysis, and classified subjects as low (n = 15) or high endurance (n = 8) based on TTF (415.3 ± 16.0 vs. 626.7 ± 25.8 s, respectively). The high-endurance group exhibited a lower MEP and EMG at baseline (MEP 16.3 ± 4.1 vs. 37.2 ± 3.0% M _max, P < 0.01; EMG 0.98 ± 0.18 vs. 1.85 ± 0.26% M _max, P = 0.03). These findings suggest no sex differences in elbow extensor fatigability, in contrast to observations from other muscle groups. The cluster analyses results indicated that high- and low-endurance groups displayed neurophysiologic differences at baseline (before performing the fatigue task), but that they did not differ in fatigue-induced changes in their neurophysiologic adjustments to the task.

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Title: Men and women exhibit a similar time to task failure for a sustained, submaximal elbow extensor contraction
Authors: Douglas J. Dearth
Jonathan Umbel
Richard L. Hoffman
David W. Russ
Thad E. Wilson
Brian C. Clark
Publication date: 01-04-2010
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 6/2010
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1323-z

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Men and women exhibit a similar time to task failure for a sustained, submaximal elbow extensor contraction

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