Fatigue effects of marathon running on neuromuscular performance

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 1991

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European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2007

The aim of the present study was to examine muscle mechanical characteristics before and after a marathon race. Eight elite runners underwent a pre-test 1 week before the marathon and post-tests 30 min, two and fiveday-post-marathon. Actual marathon race performance was 2:34:40 ± 0:04:13. Energy expenditure at marathon pace (EE Mpace ) was elevated 4% post-marathon (pre: 4,465 ± 91 vs. post 4,638 ± 91 J kg bodyweight -1 km -1 , P < 0.05), but was lowered by 6 and 9.5% two-and five-day-postmarathon compared to EE Mpace pre-marathon. Countermovement jump (CMJ) power decreased 13% post-marathon (pre: 21.5 ± 0.9 vs. post: 18.9 ± 1.2 W kg -1 ; P < 0.05) and remained depressed two-(18%) and five-day (12%) post-marathon. CMJ force was unaltered across all four tests occasions. Knee extensor and plantar flexor maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) decreased from 176.6 ± 9.5 to 136.7 ± 16.8 Nm and 144.9 ± 8.7 to 119.2 ± 15.1 Nm post-marathon corresponding to 22 and 17%, respectively (P < 0.05). No significant changes were detected in evoked contractile parameters, except a 25% increase in force at 5 Hz, and low frequency fatigue was not observed. In conclusion, leg muscle power decreased acutely post-marathon race and recovered very slowly. The post-marathon increase in EE Mpace might be attributed to a reduction in stretch shortening cycle efficiency. Finally, since MVC was reduced after the marathon race without any marked changes in evoked muscle contractile properties, the strength fatigue experienced by the subjects in this study seems to be related to central rather than peripheral mechanisms.

A group of 8 experienced 20to 35-year-old (mean 30) endurance runners (1 woman and 7 men) volunteered for the experiment. Their sport was either marathon or triathlon. The group weight averaged 68 (59-93) kg and height 177 (168-190) cm. Experimental design The experimental design included different tests repeated for each subject on 2 successive sessions, day 1 and day 2, separated by a period of 4 d. The

Journal of Applied Physiology, 2010

Millet GY. Central and peripheral contributions to neuromuscular fatigue induced by a 24-h treadmill run. This experiment investigated the fatigue induced by a 24-h running exercise (24TR) and particularly aimed at testing the hypothesis that the central component would be the main mechanism responsible for neuromuscular fatigue. Neuromuscular function evaluation was performed before, every 4 h during, and at the end of the 24TR on 12 experienced ultramarathon runners. It consisted of a determination of the maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) of the knee extensors (KE) and plantar flexors (PF), the maximal voluntary activation (%VA) of the KE and PF, and the maximal compound muscle action potential amplitude (Mmax) on the soleus and vastus lateralis. Tetanic stimulations also were delivered to evaluate the presence of low-frequency fatigue and the KE maximal muscle force production ability. Strength loss occurred throughout the exercise, with large changes observed after 24TR in MVC for both the KE and PF muscles (Ϫ40.9 Ϯ 17.0 and Ϫ30.3 Ϯ 12.5%, respectively; P Ͻ 0.001) together with marked reductions of %VA (Ϫ33.0 Ϯ 21.8 and Ϫ14.8 Ϯ 18.9%, respectively; P Ͻ 0.001). A reduction of Mmax amplitude was observed only on soleus, and no low-frequency fatigue was observed for any muscle group. Finally, KE maximal force production ability was reduced to a moderate extent at the end of the 24TR (Ϫ10.2%; P Ͻ 0.001), but these alterations were highly variable ( Ϯ 15.7%). These results suggest that central factors are mainly responsible for the large maximal muscle torque reduction after ultraendurance running, especially on the KE muscles. Neural drive reduction may have contributed to the relative preservation of peripheral function and also affected the evolution of the running speed during the 24TR. activation level; M wave; low-frequency fatigue; ultramarathon

British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006

European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2005

This study analyses the changes in the electromyographic activity (EMG) of six major muscles of the leg during an incremental running test carried out on a treadmill. These muscles, the gluteus maximus (GM), biceps femoris (BF), vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (Ga) are known to have quite different functions during running. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology adapted to the analysis of integrated EMG (iEMG) running results, and to test the chronology of the onset of fatigue of the major muscles involved in running. Nine well-trained subjects [VO2max 76 (2.9) ml.min_1.kg_1] took part in this study. They completed a running protocol consisting of 4 min stages, incrementally increasing in speed until exhaustion. The EMG signal was recorded during ten bursts of activation analysed separately at 45 s and 3 min 40 s of each stage. During running, consideration of the alteration in stride frequency with either an increase in speed or the onset of fatigue appears to be an indispensable part of the assessment of muscular fatigue. This allows the comparison of muscular activation between the various stage speeds by the use of common working units. Distance seems to be the only working unit that allows this comparison and thus the determination of the appearance of fatigue during running. The biarticular hip-mobilising muscles (RF and BF), which present two different bursts of activation during one running cycle, are the muscles that show the earliest signs of fatigue.

Gait &amp; Posture, 2019

Highlights  Running a 12-km organised race affected neuromuscular measures, confirming fatigue  Peak plantar-flexion strength and postural balance were impaired post 12-km race  Foot-strike, however, was similar pre-race vs post-race and at 3-km vs 10-km  12-km race times were predicted with a high accuracy, but not foot-strike pattern  Results corroborate the value of plantar-flexion strength in racing events

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2007

A group of 8 experienced 20to 35-year-old (mean 30) endurance runners (1 woman and 7 men) volunteered for the experiment. Their sport was either marathon or triathlon. The group weight averaged 68 (59-93) kg and height 177 cm.

International journal of sports physiology and performance

Countermovement jump (CMJ) and maximum running speed over a distance of 20 m were evaluated for examination of the concurrent fatigue and postactivation potentiation (PAP) in endurance athletes after an incremental field running test. Twenty-two endurance athletes performed two attempts of CMJ on a force plate and maximum running speed test before and following the Université de Montréal Track Test (UMTT). The results showed an improvement in CMJ height (3.6%) after UMTT that correlated with the increment in peak power (3.4%), with a concurrent peak force loss (-10.8%) that correlated with peak power enhancement. The athletes maintained their 20 m sprint performance after exhaustion. Cluster analysis reinforced the association between CMJ and peak power increments in responders with a reported correlation between peak power and sprint performance increments (r = .623; P = .041); nonresponders showed an impairment of peak force, vertical stiffness, and a higher vertical displacement ...

Human Movement

This study investigated maturation-related differences in neuromuscular fatigue after a short-term maximal run.Eight male children, eight adolescents, and eight adults performed a maximal ~50 s (300/350/400 m, respectively) run. Mechanisms of neuromuscular fatigue were assessed through isometric plantar flexor tests, electrical stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve, soleus EMG, and blood tests.All the groups showed a decrease in running speed (children −12.2 ± 6.5 %; adolescents −9.8 ± 5.1 %; and adults −12.2 ± 3.1 %), but only adults showed a decrease in the maximal isometric plantar flexor torque (−16.1 ± 13.0 %). On the other hand, the relative pre- to post-fatigue change in the maximal isometric plantar flexor torque differed only between adults and adolescents. The peak torque in the passive twitch test decreased only in adolescents (−19.2 ± 12.2 %) and adults (−23.7 ± 13.7 %). Moreover, post-fatigue minimum of blood pH (children 7.18 ± 0.03, adolescents 7.14 ± 0.07, and ad...