Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Muscular Exercise and Fatigue

  • Research Review
  • Published:
Sports Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The development of muscular fatigue during exercise is a common phenomenon, and several forms depend on the precise type of exercise performed. The causes are still not clearly established, although the involvement of electrical and metabolic factors have been demonstrated. Several techniques which allow for the analysis of muscle function in terms of electrical activation and energy metabolism are (a) a needle biopsy of muscle for histo-chemical and metabolic studies, (b) magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the non-invasive study of muscle energy metabolism and pH, (c) electromyographic analysis of the electrical characteristics of muscle, and (d) percutaneous electrical stimulation of muscle for the force-frequency and relaxation characteristics of muscle. Endurance training increases the capacity to sustain exercise possibly by altering muscle energy metabolism and contractile properties.

Fatigue is a self-protective mechanism against the damage of contractile machinery of muscle as, for example, with the development of rigor, which occurs if the energy stores are depleted. To illustrate the roles of energy supply and electrical properties in muscle in fatigue, the ’catastrophe theory’ used in engineering has been applied. This may explain abrupt changes of function of individual muscle cells, while for the muscle as a whole, fatigue may be manifested as a more gradual loss of force.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alesso, H.P.: Reliability analysis of the elementary catastrophe theory model of muscle contraction. Engineering in Medicine 7:21–30 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belanger, A.V. and McComas, A.J.: Extent of motor unit activation during effort. Journal of Applied Physiology 51: 1131–1135 (1981).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bigland-Ritchie, B.; Jones, D.A.; Hosking, G.P. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Central and peripheral fatigue in maximum voluntary contractions of human quadriceps muscle. Clinical Science and Molecular Medicine 54: 604–614 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigland-Ritchie, B.; Johansson, R.; Lippold, O.C.J.; Smith, S. and Woods. J.J.: Changes in motorneurone firing rates during sus-tained maximal voluntary contractions. Journal of Physiology 340: 335–346 (1983).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bigland-Ritchie, B.; Jones, D.A. and Woods, J.J.: Excitation fre-quency and muscle fatigue: Electrical responses during human voluntary and stimulated contractions. Experimental Neurology. 64: 414–427 (1979).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bigland-Ritchie, B.; Kakula, C.B.; Lippold, O.C.J, and Woods, J.J.: The absence of neuromuscular transmission failure in sustained maximal voluntary contractions. Journal of Physiology 330: 265–278 (1982).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bolitho-Donaldson, S.K. and Hermansen, L.: Differential direct effects of H+ on Ca2+ — activated force of skinned fibres from the soleus, cardiac and adductor magnus muscles of rabbits. Pflugers Archives 376: 55–65 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S.J.; Edwards, R.H.T.; Greig, C. and Rutherford, O.: Practical application of the twitch interpolation technique for the study of voluntary contraction of the quadriceps muscle in man. Journal of Physiology 353: 3P (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, C.T.M. and White, M.J.: Muscle weakness following dy-namic exercise in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology 53: 236–241 (1982).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson. J.J.; Gadian, D.G. and Wilkie, D.R.: Muscular fatigue investigated by phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance. Nature 274: 861–866 (1978).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dubowitz, V.; Hyde, S.A.; Scott, O.M. and Vrbova, G.: Effect of long-term electrical stimulation on the fatigue of human muscle. Journal of Physiology 328: 30P–31P (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.: Studies of muscular performance in normal and dystrophic subjects. British Medical Bulletin 36: 159–164 (1980).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.: Physiological analysis of skeletal muscle weak-ness and fatigue. Clinical Science 65: 1–8 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.: Human muscle function and fatigue; in Porter and Whelan (Eds) Human Muscle Fatigue: Physiological Mechanisms. Ciba Foundation Symposium No. 82, pp. 1–18 (Pitman Medical, London, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.: Biochemical bases of fatigue in exercise per-formance: Catastrophe theory of muscular fatigue; in Knuttgen et al., (Eds) Biochemistry of Exercise, pp. 3–28 (Human Kinetics, Champaign 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Dawson, M.J.; Wilkie, DR.; Gordon, R.E. and Shaw, D.: Clinical use of nuclear magnetic resonance in the investigation of myopathy. Lancet 1: 725–731 (1982a).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Efthimiou, J. and Spiro, S.G.: Voltage inde-pendence of frequency: force relationships before and after fa-tiguing dynamic exercise in the sternomastoid muscle. Journal of Physiology 353: 129P (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Jones, D.A. and Newham, D.J.: Low frequency stimulation and changes in human muscle contractile properties. Journal of Physiology 328: 29–30P (1982b).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Hill, D.K. and Jones, D.A.: Effect of fatigue on the time course of relaxation from isometric contraction of skeletal muscle in man. Journal of Physiology 227: 26–27P (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Hill, D.K. and Jones, D.A.: Metabolic changes associated with the slowing of relaxation in fatigued mouse muscle. Journal of Physiology 521: 287–301 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Hill, D.K.; Jones, D.A. and Merton, P.A.: Fatigue of long duration in human skeletal muscle after exercise. Journal of Physiology 272: 769–778 (1977b).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Mills, K.R. and Newham, D.J.: Greater low frequency fatigue produced by eccentricitation by concentric muscle contraction. Journal of Physiology 317: 17P (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T. and Newham, D.J.: Force-frequency relationship determined by percutaneous stimulation of the quadriceps muscle. Journal of Physiology 353: 128P (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T. and Wiles, CM. Energy exchange in human skeletal muscle during isometric contraction. Circulation Re-search 48 (Suppl.): 11–17 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Young, A.; Hosking, G.P. and Jones, D.A.: Human skeletal muscle function: Description of tests and normal values. Clinical Science and Molecular Medicine 52: 283–290 (1977a).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, R.H.T.; Young, A. and Wiles, CM.: Needle biopsy of skeletal muscle in the diagnosis of myopathy and the clinical study of muscle function and repair. New England Journal of Medicine 302: 261–271 (1980).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faulkner, J.A.; Jones, D.A.; Round, J.M. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Dynamics of energetic processes in human muscle; in Cerve-telli and Whipps (Eds) Exercise Bioenergetics and Gas Exchange, pp. 81–90 (Elsevier, North Holland 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollnick, P.D. and Saltin, B.: Significance of skeletal muscle ox-idative enzyme enhancement with endurance training. Clinical Physiology 2: 1–12 (1982).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henriksson, J. and Reitman, J.S.: Time course of changes in human skeletal muscle succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase activities and maximal oxygen uptake with physical activity and inactivity. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 99: 91–97 (1977).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hermansen, L.: Effect of metabolic changes on force generation in skeletal muscle during maximal exercise; in Porter and Whelan (Eds) Human Muscle Fatigue: Physiological Mechanisms. Ciba Foundation Symposium No. 82 pp.75–88 (Pitman Medical, London, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D.A.: Muscle fatigue due to changes beyond the neuro-muscular junction; in Porter and Whelan (Eds) Human Muscle Fatigue: Physiological Mechanisms, Ciba Foundation Sym-posium No. 82, pp. 178–196 (Pitman Medical, London 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D.A.; Bigland-Ritchie, B. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Excitation frequency and muscle fatigue: Mechanical responses during voluntary and stimulated contractions. Experimental Neurology 64: 401–413 (1979).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kadefors, R.; Kaiser, E. and Petersen, I.: Dynamic spectrum ana-lysis of myo-potentials with special reference to muscle fatigue. Electromyography 8: 39–74 (1968).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser, E. and Petersen, L: Frequency analysis of muscle action potentials during tetanic contraction. Electromyography 3: 5–17 (1963).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson, J.; Nordesjo, L.-O.; Jorfeldt, L. and Saltin, B.: Muscle lactate, ATP and CP levels during exercise after physical train-ing in man. Journal of Applied Physiology 33: 119–203 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lunsgaard, E.: Untersuchangen uber muskel kontraction ohne milschsaure. Biochemistry Z. 227: 51–59 (1930).

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDougall, J.D.; Ward, G.R.; Sale, D.G. and Sutton, J.R.: Bio-chemical adaptation of human skeletal muscle to heavy re-sistance training and immobilisation. Journal of Applied Phys-iology 43: 700–703 (1977).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, B.: Myopathy due to a defect in glycogen breakdown. Clinical Science 10: 13–35 (1951).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDonagh, M.J.N, and Davies, C.T.M.: Adaptive responses of mammalian skeletal muscle to examination with high loads. European Journal of Applied Physiology 52: 139–155 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merton, P.A.: Voluntary strength and fatigue. Journal of Physi-ology 123: 553–564 (1954).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, K.R.: Power spectral analysis of electromyogram and com-pound muscle action potential during muscle fatigue and re-covery. Journal of Physiology 326: 401–409 (1982).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, K.R. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Muscle fatigue in myophos-phorylase deficiency: Power spectral analysis of the electromyogram. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 57: 330–335 (1984).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moulds, R.F.W.; Young, A.; Jones, D.A. and Edwards, R.H.T.: A study of the contractility, biochemistry and morphology of an isolated preparation of human skeletal muscle. Clinical Science and Molecular Medicine 52: 291–297 (1977).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moxham, J.; Edwards, R.H.T.; Aubier, M.; De Troyer, G.; Far-kas, G.; Macklem, P.T. and Roussos, C: Changes in EMG power spectrum (high to low ratio) with force fatigue in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory Environmental and Exercise Physiology 53: 1094–1099 (1982).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Newham, D.J.; McPhail, G.; Mills, K.R. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Ultrastructural changes after concentric and eccentric contrac-tions of human muscle. Journal of Neurological Science 61: 109–122 (1983b).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Newham, D.J.; Mills, K.R.; Quigley, B.M. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Pain and fatigue after concentric and eccentric muscle con-tractions. Clinical Science 64: 55–62 (1983a).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, R. and Whelan, J. (Eds): Ciba Foundation Symposium No. 82: Human Muscle Fatigue: Physiological Mechanisms, pp. 1–301 (Pitman Medical, London, 1981).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Poston, T. and Stewart, I.:Catastrophe Theory and its Applica-tions, pp. 1–477 (Pitman, London 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rohmert, W.: Ermittlung von Erholungs pausen fur statische Arbeit des Menschen. Internationale Zeitschrift fur angewandte Physiologie einschliesslich Arbeitsphysiologie 18: 123–164 (1960).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, B.D.; Radda, G.K.; Gadian, D.G.; Rocker, G.; Esiri, M. and Falconer-Smith, J.: Examination of a case of suspected McArdle’s Syndrome by 3IP nuclear magnetic resonance. New England Journal of Medicine 304: 1338–1342 (1981).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salmons, S. and Henriksson, J.: The adaptive response of skeletal muscle to increased use. Muscle and Nerve 4: 94–105 (1981).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saltin, B. and Rowell, L.B.: Functional adaptations to physical activity and inactivity. Federation Proceedings 39: 1506–1513 (1980).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sjoholm, H.; Sahlin, K.; Edstrom, L. and Hultman, E.: Quantitative estimation of anaerobic and oxidative energy metabolism and contraction characteristics in intact human skeletal muscle in response to electrical stimulation. Clinical Physiology 3: 227–239 (1983).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens, J.A. and Taylor, A.: Fatigue of maintained voluntary contractions in man. Journal of Physiology 220: 1–18 (1972).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stulen, F.B. and De Luca, C.J.: Muscle fatigue monitor: A noninvasive device for observing localized muscular fatigue. IEEE Transactions of Biomedical Engineering 29: 760–768 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiles, CM. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Metabolic heat production in isometric ischaemic contractions of human adductor pollicis. Clinical Physiology 2: 499–512 (1982).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiles, CM.; Jones, D.A. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Fatigue in human metabolic myopathy; in Porter and Whelan (Eds) Human Muscle Fatigue: Physiological Mechanisms. Ciba Foundation Symposium No. 82, pp. 120–129 (Pitman Medical, London, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiles, CM.; Young, A.; Jones, D.A. and Edwards, R.H.T.: Muscle relaxation rate, fibre-type composition and energy turnover in hvpcr- and hypo-thyroid patients. Clinical Science 57: 378–384 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Royal Liverpool Hospital, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool, L69 3BX, England

    H. Gibson &  R. H. T. Edwards

Authors
  1. H. Gibson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. H. T. Edwards
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gibson, H., Edwards, R.H.T. Muscular Exercise and Fatigue. Sports Medicine 2, 120–132 (1985). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198502020-00004

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-198502020-00004

Keywords

Search

Navigation