Inability to increase the neural drive to muscle is associated with task failure during submaximal contractions.

We investigated changes in motor unit (MU) behaviour and vasti-muscle contractile properties during sustained submaximal fatiguing contractions with a new time-domain tracking technique in order to understand the mechanisms responsible for task failure. Sixteen participants performed a non-fatiguing 15s isometric knee-extension at 50% of the maximum voluntary torque (MVC), followed by a 30% MVC sustained contraction until exhaustion. Two grids of 64 surface electromyography electrodes were placed over vastus medialis and lateralis. Signals were decomposed into MU discharge-times and the MUs from the 30% MVC sustained contraction were followed until task failure by overlapping decomposition intervals. These MUs were then tracked between 50% and 30% MVC. During the sustained fatiguing contraction, MUs of the two muscles decreased their discharge rate until ~40% of the endurance time, referred to as the reversal time, and then increased their discharge rate until task failure. This reversal in firing behaviour predicted total endurance time and was matched by opposite changes in twitch force (increase followed by a decrease). Despite the later increase in MU firing rates, peak discharge rates at task failure did not reach the frequency attained during a non-fatiguing 50% MVC contraction. These results show that changes in MU firing properties are influenced by adjustments in contractile properties during the course of the contraction, allowing the identification of two phases. Nevertheless, the contraction cannot be sustained possibly due to progressive motoneuron inhibition/decreased excitability, as the later increase in firing rate saturates at a much lower frequency compared to a higher-force non-fatiguing contraction.