Blockade of 5-HT2 receptors suppresses rate of torque development and motor unit discharge rate during rapid contractions.

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator that is critical for regulating the excitability of spinal motoneurons and the generation of muscle torque. However, the role of 5-HT in modulating human motor unit activity during rapid contractions has yet to be assessed. Nine healthy participants (23.7 ± 2.2 yr) ingested 8 mg of the competitive 5-HT2 antagonist cyproheptadine in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures experiment. Rapid dorsiflexion contractions were performed at 30%, 50%, and 70% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), where motor unit activity was assessed by high-density surface electromyographic decomposition. A second protocol was performed where a sustained, fatigue-inducing dorsiflexion contraction was completed before undertaking the same 30%, 50%, and 70% MVC rapid contractions and motor unit analysis. Motor unit discharge rate (P < 0.001) and rate of torque development (RTD; P = 0.019) for the unfatigued muscle were both significantly lower for the cyproheptadine condition. Following the fatigue inducing contraction, cyproheptadine reduced motor unit discharge rate (P < 0.001) and RTD (P = 0.024), whereas the effects of cyproheptadine on motor unit discharge rate and RTD increased with increasing contraction intensity. Overall, these results support the viewpoint that serotonergic effects in the central nervous system occur fast enough to regulate motor unit discharge rate during rapid powerful contractions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We have shown that serotonin activity in the central nervous system plays a role in regulating human motor unit discharge rate during rapid contractions. Our findings support the viewpoint that serotonergic effects in the central nervous system are fast and are most prominent during contractions that are characterized by high motor unit discharge rates and large amounts of torque development.

Rate of force development: physiological and methodological considerations.

The evaluation of rate of force development during rapid contractions has recently become quite popular for characterising explosive strength of athletes, elderly individuals and patients. The main aims of this narrative review are to describe the neuromuscular determinants of rate of force development and to discuss various methodological considerations inherent to its evaluation for research and clinical purposes. Rate of force development (1) seems to be mainly determined by the capacity to produce maximal voluntary activation in the early phase of an explosive contraction (first 50-75 ms), particularly as a result of increased motor unit discharge rate; (2) can be improved by both explosive-type and heavy-resistance strength training in different subject populations, mainly through an improvement in rapid muscle activation; (3) is quite difficult to evaluate in a valid and reliable way. Therefore, we provide evidence-based practical recommendations for rational quantification of rate of force development in both laboratory and clinical settings.

Voluntary rate of torque development is impaired after a voluntary versus tetanic conditioning contraction.

INTRODUCTION: Both voluntary and evoked conditioning contractions will potentiate muscle twitch contractile properties. The response of a voluntary contraction to each condition type is not well understood but it may be a more functional model than evoked twitch potentiation. METHODS: Baseline measurements from tibialis anterior included: maximal isometric twitch torque and rate of torque development (RTD); maximal evoked 50-Hz torque; and maximal voluntary ballistic RTD. Potentiation was induced by a 10-s voluntary or tetanic contraction (∽78% MVC), followed by 2 twitches and 2 ballistic contractions. RESULTS: Twitch properties (torque and RTD) were potentiated equally after each conditioning contraction. Ballistic RTD was greater post-tetanus (390.2 ± 59.3 Nm/s) than post-voluntary (356.4 ± 69.1 Nm/s), but both were reduced from baseline (422.0 ± 88.9 Nm/s). CONCLUSIONS: Twitch potentiation was similar between conditioning contraction types, but ballistic RTD was lower after post-tetanus than post-voluntary. The results indicate central inhibition or fatigue concurrent with peripheral potentiation.

Influence of stimulation frequency on early and late phase rate of torque and velocity development.

The early (≤50 ms) rate of torque development (RTD) is dependent upon the speed of neuromuscular activation; however, few studies have evaluated the determinants of rate of velocity development (RVD), which may be load-dependent. The purpose here was to explore the relationship between stimulation frequency with the early and late (≥100 ms) phase isometric RTD and isotonic RVD. The knee extensors of 16 (five female) young recreationally active participants were stimulated using 14 frequencies from 1 to 100 Hz during isometric and isotonic ("unloaded" and 7.5% of the isometric maximal voluntary contraction [MVC]) contractions. Isometric RTD and isotonic RVD were evaluated for the early (0-50 ms) and late (0-100 ms) phases from torque and velocity onset, respectively. Sigmoid functions were fit and bilinear regressions were used to examine the slopes of the steep portion of the curve and the plateau frequency. RTD- and RVD-frequency relationships were well described by a sigmoid function (all r2 > 0.96). Compared with the late phase, early isometric RTD, and unloaded RVD displayed lower slopes (all P ≤ 0.001) and higher plateau frequencies (all P < 0.001). In contrast, early and late RVD of a moderately loaded isotonic contraction did not display different slopes (P = 0.055) or plateau frequencies (P = 0.690). Early isometric RTD and unloaded isotonic RVD are more dependent on changes in stimulation frequency compared with late phases. However, RVD for a moderately loaded isotonic contraction displayed similar responses for the early and late phases. Therefore, a high frequency of activation is critical for early torque and velocity generation but dependent upon the load for isotonic contractions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that during an "unloaded" isotonic contraction, the early phase rate of velocity development is more dependent upon a high electrical activation frequency compared with the late phase, similar to isometric torque. However, early and late phase rates of velocity development of moderately loaded isotonic contractions display similar responses. These results indicate that the determinants of isotonic shortening function are dependent on the externally applied load, highlighting the importance of task-specificity of contraction.