ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2022
The force-generation capacity of the tibialis anterior muscle at different muscle-tendon lengths depends on its motor unit contractile properties.
Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Human dorsiflexor muscles are resilient against voluntary activation failure following high-intensity interval exercise.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Effect of intensive care unit hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome on strength, fatigue and motor unit behaviour.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The association between motor unit behavior and joint power at early and late phases of concentric ankle dorsiflexions.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Biceps femoris long-head motor unit discharge rates and recruitment thresholds vary across 9 weeks of eccentric training.Journal of sport and health science · 2026Article
- Torque regulation is affected by joint angle during isometric contraction in young male adults.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Motor unit discharge properties of the vastii muscles and their modulation with contraction level depend on the knee-joint angle.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2026Article
- In vivo tibialis anterior muscle mechanics through force estimation using ankle joint moment and shear wave elastography.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Achilles tendon morpho-mechanical parameters are related to triceps surae motor unit firing properties.Journal of neurophysiology · 2024Article
- Sex-differences in the longitudinal recovery of neuromuscular function in COVID-19 associated acute respiratory distress syndrome survivors.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- Modulations in motor unit discharge are related to changes in fascicle length during isometric contractions.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2022Article
- Sex differences in the detection of motor unit action potentials identified using high-density surface electromyography.Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology · 2022Article
- Balance impairment in myotonic dystrophy type 1: Dynamic posturography suggests the coexistence of a proprioceptive and vestibular deficit.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
purposeMuscle-tendon length can influence central and peripheral motor unit (MU) characteristics, but their interplay is unknown. This study aims to explain the effect of muscle length on MU firing and contractile properties by applying deconvolution of high-density surface EMG (HDEMG), and torque signals on the same MUs followed at different lengths during voluntary contractions.
methodsFourteen participants performed isometric ankle dorsiflexion at 10% and 20% of the maximal voluntary torque (MVC) at short, optimal, and long muscle lengths (90°, 110°, and 130° ankle angles, respectively). HDEMG signals were recorded from the tibialis anterior, and MUs were tracked by cross-correlation of MU action potentials across ankle angles and torques. Torque twitch profiles were estimated using model-based deconvolution of the torque signal based on composite MU spike trains.
resultsMean discharge rate of matched motor units was similar across all muscle lengths (P = 0.975). Interestingly, the increase in mean discharge rate of MUs matched from 10 to 20% MVC force levels at the same ankle angle was smaller at 110° compared with the other two ankle positions (P = 0.003), and the phenomenon was explained by a greater increase in twitch torque at 110° compared to the shortened and lengthened positions (P = 0.002). This result was confirmed by the deconvolution of electrically evoked contractions at different stimulation frequencies and muscle-tendon lengths.
conclusionHigher variations in MU twitch torque at optimal muscle lengths likely explain the greater force-generation capacity of muscles in this position.
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