Muscle tissue oxygenation, pressure, electrical, and mechanical responses during dynamic and static voluntary contractions

Dynamic muscle contractions have been shown to cause greater energy turnover and fatigue than static contractions performed at a corresponding force level. Therefore, we hypothesized that: (1) electro- (EMG) and mechanomyography (MMG), intramuscular pressure (IMP), and reduction in muscle oxygen tension (rTO2) would be larger during dynamic (DYN) than intermittent static (IST) low force contractions; and that (2) oxygen tension would remain lower in the resting periods subsequent to DYN as compared to those following IST. Eight subjects performed elbow flexions with identical time-tension products: (1) DYN as a 20° elbow movement of 2 s concentric and 2 s eccentric followed by a 4 s rest; and (2) IST with a 4 s contraction followed by a 4 s rest. Each session was performed for 1 min at 10 and 20% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The force, bipolar surface EMG, MMG, IMP, rTO2 were measured simultaneously from the biceps brachii, and the data presented as the mean values together with the standard error of the means. Comparison of the corresponding time periods showed the EMGrms and MMGrms values to be larger during DYN than IST (concentric phase: DYN vs IST were 14.2 vs 9.4, and 22.0 vs 15.9%max−EMGrms; eccentric phase: in DYN, the MMG was ~1.5 and ~2.0-fold IST at 10 and 20%MVC, respectively). In contrast, the IMP of the concentric phase in DYN was lower than in IST (2.3 vs 29.5 and 10.9 vs 42.0 mmHg at 10 and 20%MVC, respectively), and a similar picture was seen for the eccentric phase. However, no differences were seen in rTO2 in either the contraction or the rest periods. In a prolonged rest period (8 s) after the sessions, DYN but not IST showed rTO2 above baseline level. In conclusion, rTO2 in DYN and IST were similar in spite of major differences in the MMG and EMG responses of the muscle during contraction periods. This may relate to the surprisingly lower IMP in DYN than IST.