Time course of changes in neuromuscular responses during rides to exhaustion above and below critical power.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the time course of changes in electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude (AMP) and mean power frequency (MPF) responses during cycle ergometry to exhaustion performed above (CP+10%) and below (CP-10%) critical power (CP) to infer motor unit activation strategies used to maintain power output. METHODS: Participants performed a 3-min all out test to determine CP, and 2 randomly ordered, continuous rides to exhaustion at CP+10% and CP-10%·VO2, EMG AMP, EMG MPF, MMG AMP, MMG MPF, and time to exhaustion (Tlim) were recorded. Responses at CP-10% and CP+10% were analyzed separately. RESULTS: At CP-10%, EMG and MMG AMP were significantly greater than the initial 5% timepoint at 100% Tlim. EMG MPF and MMG MPF reflected a downward trend that resulted in no significant difference between timepoints. At CP+10%, EMG AMP was significantly greater than the initial 5% timepoint from 60% to 100% Tlim. MMG AMP was less than the initial 5% timepoint at only 50% Tlim. EMG and MMG MPF were significantly less than the initial 5% timepoint at 20% Tlim and 100% Tlim, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The timecourse of changes in EMG and MMG signals were different at CP-10% and CP+10%, but responses observed indicated cycle ergometry to exhaustion relies on similar motor unit activation strategies.