Varied EMG responses of the quadriceps muscle during a Wingate anaerobic test

Introduction: The Wingate Test (WAnT) has been used to evaluate anaerobic performance in cycle ergometer. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to analyze the EMG response of the superficial quadriceps femoris muscles during the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT). In addition, we investigated the influence of these muscles in performance and fatigue during the WAnT. Methods: For this purpose eight male cyclists performed a 30-s WAnT. Electromyographic amplitude (RMS) and median power frequency (MPF) data of the vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris (RF) muscles, performance index (mean power, MP) and rate of fatigue (fatigue index, FI) were recorded during the test; and compared along six time points. The correlation between EMG data and performance parameters were made. Results: No significant differences were found in maximal EMG amplitude for all the muscles. The MPF of the VL and VM muscles decreased throughout the test (12% and 13%, respectively), however, the decline for the RF was twice greater (25%). Correlation among MP and EMG amplitude was observed only for VL (r=0.83; P<0.01). There was significant correlation between the FI and the MPF decrease in the RF muscle only (r=0.78; P<0.05). Conclusion: During the WAnT, MPF decrease of RF muscle was significantly larger when compared to the VL and VM. The VL muscle electrical activity was positively correlated with MP, suggesting that VL is an accurate predictor of the performance in the WAnT. The MPF decrease of the RF muscle was positively correlated to the FI. These results may be explained by differences in the fiber type composition, biomechanics and architecture properties of these muscles. Keyword: Wingate anaerobic test, Electromyography, Quadriceps Muscle, Fatigue, Neuromuscular. Corresponding author: Cássia Lopes Teodoro. Faculdade de Educação Física – FEF/DCE, Universidade Estadual de Campinas – UNICAMP. Caixa Postal 6134. 13.083-970 – Campinas – São Paulo – Brasil. E-mail: cassiars@gmail.com 1 Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas UNICAMP, Campinas/SP, Brasil. Full list of author information is available at the end of the article. Financial support: nothing to declare submission date 01 February 2017; acceptance date 30 March 2017; Publication date 12 June 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.17784/mtprehabjournal.2017.15.458

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