Extra-torque of human tibialis anterior during electrical stimulation with linearly varying frequency and amplitude trains.

This work aimed to characterise the whole human muscle input/output law during electrical stimulation with triangular varying frequency and amplitude trains through combined analysis of torque, mechanomyogram (MMG) and electromyogram (EMG). The tibialis anterior (TA) of ten subjects (age 23-35years) was investigated during static contraction obtained through neuromuscular electrical stimulation. After potentiation, TA underwent two 15s stimulation patterns: (a) frequency triangle (FT): 2>35>2Hz at Vmax (amplitude providing full motor unit recruitment); (b) amplitude triangle (AT): Vmin>Vmax>Vmin (Vmin providing TA least mechanical response) at 35Hz. 2>35Hz or Vmin>Vmax as well as 35>2Hz or Vmax>Vmin were defined as up-going ramp (UGR) and down-going ramp (DGR), respectively. TA torque, MMG and EMG were detected by a load cell, an optical laser distance sensor and a probe with two silver bar electrodes, respectively. For both FT and AT, only the two mechanical signals resulted always larger in DGR than in UGR, during AT extra-torque and extra-MMG were present even in the first 1/3 of the amplitude range where EMG data presented no significant differences between DGR and UGR. Our data suggest that extra-torque and extra-displacement are evident for both FT and AT, being mainly attributed to an intrinsic muscle property.