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Coactivation pattern in human quadriceps during isokinetic knee-extension by muscle functional MRI

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Abstract

We tested activation patterns of individual muscles and neuromuscular compartments (NMCs) of the quadriceps femoris (QF) during knee-extension exercises (KEE). Eight healthy men performed repetitive isokinetic KEE at 120° s−1. Before and after KEE, muscle functional magnetic resonance images of the thigh were taken to calculate transverse relaxation times (T2) for the individual muscles of the QF. In terms of exercised T2, a moderate correlation was observed between the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus medialis (VM) (r=0.493, P<0.001), and between the vastus lateralis (VL) and VM (r=0.347, P<0.01). Furthermore, a strong correlation was also observed between the vastus intermedius (VI) and VM (r=0.719, P<0.0001), and between the VL and VI (r=0.783, P<0.0001). There was a significant difference in T2 between the proximal and distal NMCs of the RF. We conclude that at least two strategies are applied for force production in the human QF: (1) coactivation of specific pairs of individual muscles and (2) regional-specific activation in NMCs in the RF.

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Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge the help given by Dr. Katsumi Kose at University of Tsukuba for technical assistance with creating T2 images.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center of Health, Physical Fitness and Sports, Nagoya University, 1 Furo, Chikusa, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan

    Hiroshi Akima

  2. Japan Institute of Sports Science, 3-15-1 Nishigaoka, Kita-ku, Tokyo 115-0056, Japan

    Hideyuki Takahashi

  3. Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan

    Shin-ya Kuno

  4. Graduate School of Integrated Science and Art, University of East Asia, 2-1 Ichinomiya-Gakuen, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi 751-8503, Japan

    Shigeru Katsuta

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  1. Hiroshi Akima
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  4. Shigeru Katsuta
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Akima.

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Akima, H., Takahashi, H., Kuno, Sy. et al. Coactivation pattern in human quadriceps during isokinetic knee-extension by muscle functional MRI. Eur J Appl Physiol 91, 7–14 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-003-0942-z

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