Anconeus motor unit firing rates during isometric and muscle-shortening contractions comparing young and very old adults

Changes of neural drive to the muscle with adult aging, measured as motor unit firing rates during limb movements, are unknown. Throughout maximal voluntary efforts we found that, in comparison with young adults, firing rates were lower during isometric contraction in older adults but not different during elbow extension movements. Despite the older group being ∼33% weaker across contractions, their muscles can receive neural drive during movements that are similar to that of younger adults.

Contraction-dependent intracortical inhibition supports gravity-efficient motor control

Efficient control of voluntary movements along the gravity axis requires adapted shifts in muscular contraction modes. In daily life, rising the arm up involves shortening (i.e., concentric) contractions of arm flexors, while the reverse movement can rely on lengthening (i.e., eccentric) contractions of the same muscles with the help of gravity force. Although this muscular-control mode is universal, the neuromuscular mechanisms that subserve the control of such gravity-oriented movements remain unknown. In this study, we designed two neurophysiological experiments that allowed tracking modulations of cortical, spinal, and muscular outputs of arm flexors while healthy humans carried out vertical pointing movements. In conditions where upward and downward movements revealed kinematic features reminiscent of optimal motor commands (i.e., directional asymmetries), we report fine contraction-dependent modulations of the corticospinal output. The overall corticospinal excitability dropped during lengthening contractions (downward movements) compared with shortening contractions (upward movements). Specifically, we did not observe any change in spinal motoneuron responsiveness from cervicomedullary stimulations but a specific increase in intracortical inhibition during lengthening vs. shortening contractions. We discuss these fine contraction-dependent modulations of the supraspinal motor output in the light of feedforward mechanisms that may support gravity-tuned motor control. Generally, these results shed a new perspective on the neural policy that optimize movement control along the gravity axis.

Energy Cost of Force Production After a Stretch-Shortening Cycle in Skinned Muscle Fibers: Does Muscle Efficiency Increase?

Muscle force is enhanced during shortening when shortening is preceded by an active stretch. This phenomenon is known as the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) effect. For some stretch-shortening conditions this increase in force during shortening is maintained following SSCs when compared to the force following a pure shortening contraction. It has been suggested that the residual force enhancement property of muscles, which comes into play during the stretch phase of SSCs may contribute to the force increase after SSCs. Knowing that residual force enhancement is associated with a substantial reduction in metabolic energy per unit of force, it seems reasonable to assume that the metabolic energy cost per unit of force is also reduced following a SSC. The purpose of this study was to determine the energy cost per unit of force at steady-state following SSCs and compare it to the corresponding energy cost following pure shortening contractions of identical speed and magnitude. We hypothesized that the energy cost per unit of muscle force is reduced following SSCs compared to the pure shortening contractions. For the SSC tests, rabbit psoas fibers (n = 12) were set at an average sarcomere length (SL) of 2.4 μm, activated, actively stretched to a SL of 3.2 μm, and shortened to a SL of 2.6 or 3.0 μm. For the pure shortening contractions, the same fibers were activated at a SL of 3.2 μm and actively shortened to a SL of 2.6 or 3.0 μm. The amount of ATP consumed was measured over a 40 s steady-state total isometric force following either the SSCs or the pure active shortening contractions. Fiber stiffness was determined in an additional set of 12 fibers, at steady-state for both experimental conditions. Total force, ATP consumption, and stiffness were greater following SSCs compared to the pure shortening contractions, but ATP consumption per unit of force was the same between conditions. These results suggest that the increase in total force observed following SSCs was achieved with an increase in the proportion of attached cross-bridges and titin stiffness. We conclude that muscle efficiency is not enhanced at steady-state following SSCs.

Solving a century-old conundrum underlying cardiac force-length relations

In the late 19th century, Otto Frank presented a diagram (Frank O. Z Biol 37: 483–526, 1899) showing that cardiac end-systolic pressure-volume relations are dependent on the mode of contraction: one for isovolumic contractions that locate above that for afterloaded ejecting contractions. Conflicting results to Frank’s have been subsequently demonstrated in various species, both within and among preparations, ranging from the whole hearts to single myocytes, showing a single pressure-volume or force-length relation that is independent of the mode of contraction. Numerous explanations for these conflicting results have been proposed but are mutually contradictory and hence unsatisfying. The present study aimed to explore how these conflicting findings can be reconciled. We thus explored the cardiac force-length relation across a wide spectrum of both preloads and afterloads, encompassing the physiological working range. Experiments were performed using isolated ventricular trabeculae at physiological temperature and stimulus frequency. The force-length relation obtained from isometric contractions was indeed located above a family of those obtained from shortening contractions. Low preload conditions rendered the relation contraction mode independent. High afterload conditions also showed a comparable effect. Our exploration allowed us to reveal the loading conditions that can explain the apparent single, contraction mode-independent, force-length relation that is in contrast with that presented by Frank. Resolving this century-old cardiac conundrum highlights the caution that must be taken when using the end-systolic force-length relation to illustrate as well as to understand the concepts of the Frank-Starling law of the heart, “potential energy,” and cardiac contractility. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our exploration of the cardiac force-length relation under wide ranges of preload and afterload has allowed us to reconcile conflicting results in the literature regarding its length dependency. We show that the relation is dependent on the mode of contraction but can appear to be otherwise under certain conditions. This finding highlights the need for caution when using the force-length relation to understand key concepts in cardiac physiology.

Cardiovascular responses during isometric exercise following lengthening and shortening contractions

The present study investigated the effects of prior lengthening or shortening contractions on cardiovascular responses during isometric exercise. We utilized the history dependence of skeletal muscle, where active 2-s lengthening or shortening before an isometric contraction can increase [residual force enhancement (RFE)] or decrease [force depression (FD)] force production. Matching torque output between RFE and FD conditions yields lower and higher electromyography (EMG) values, respectively. In study 1, heart rate and perceived exertion (PE; Borg10) were measured in 20 participants during 20-s isometric plantar flexion contractions at low (16 ± 4% MVC)-, moderate (50 ± 5% MVC)-, and high (88 ± 7% MVC)-intensity. In study 2, heart rate and blood pressure were measured in 14 participants during 2-min isometric plantar flexion contractions (40% MVC). In both studies, torque output was held constant between FD and RFE conditions resulting in differences in soleus EMG activity ( P < 0.05). In study 1, PE was lower during the RFE condition ( P < 0.01), while increases in heart rate were similar between FD and RFE at low (∆2 ± 8 vs. 3 ± 6 beats/min, P > 0.99) and moderate (∆14 ± 9 vs. 14 ± 9 beats/min, P > 0.99) intensity but smaller during RFE at high intensity (∆35 ± 13 vs. 29 ± 13 beats/min, P = 0.004). In study 2, heart rate responses were smaller in the RFE condition following the initial 20-s period; diastolic blood pressure responses were smaller during the last 80 s. A 2-s active change in muscle length before an isometric contraction can influence heart rate and blood pressure responses; however, these differences appear to be modulated by both intensity and duration of the contraction. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using the history dependence of isometric force to alter maximal torque production and motor unit activation between residual force enhancement and force depression conditions, we observed that heart rate responses were different between conditions during a subsequent 20-s high-, but not low- or moderate-, intensity isometric contraction. A 2-min moderate-intensity contraction revealed time-dependent effects on heart rate and diastolic blood pressure. Active 2-s shortening and lengthening before an isometric contraction can influence the cardiovascular responses.