Force and surface mechanomyogram relationship in cat gastrocnemius

The aim of this study was to compare the force (F) and the muscle transverse diameter changes during electrical stimulation of the motor nerve. In four cats the exposed motor nerves of the medial gastrocnemius were stimulated as follows: (a) eight separate trials at fixed firing rates (FR) from 5 to 50Hz (9s duration, supramaximal amplitude); (b) 5 to 50Hz linear sweep in 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10s (supramaximal amplitude, separate trials); (c) four separate trials at 40Hz, the motor units (MUs) being orderly recruited in 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10s. The muscle surface displacement was detected by a laser distance sensor pointed at the muscle surface. The resulting electrical signal was termed surface mechanomyogram (MMG). In stimulation patterns (a) and (b) the average F and MMG increased with FR. With respect to their values at 50Hz the amplitude of the unfused signal oscillations at 5Hz was much larger in MMG than in force. The signal rising phase was always earlier in MMG than in F. In (c) trials, F increased less in the first than in the second half of the recruiting time. MMG had an opposite behaviour. The results indicate that the force and the lateral displacement are not linearly related. The different behaviour of F and MMG, from low to high level of the MUs' pool activation, suggests that the force generation and the muscle dimensional change processes are influenced by different components of the muscle mechanical model

Transients of the force and surface mechanomyogram during cat gastrocnemius tetanic stimulation

The aim of the study was to investigate the time relationship between force and muscle surface displacement, detected as the surface mechanomyogram (MMG) by a laser distance sensor, in the transient phases of a tetanic stimulation. For this purpose the motor nerve of the exposed medial gastrocnemius of four cats was supramaximally stimulated at 30, 40 and 50 Hz for 9 s. Force was detected by a transducer connected at the distal tendon while MMG was measured after pointing the laser beam at the muscle belly. We found that the MMG always anticipated and trailed the force changes during the on- and off-phase of the tetani, respectively. Independently of the stimulation rate, the half-times of the two signals were: on-phase, about 76 ms for force and 33 ms for MMG; off-phase, about 83 ms for force and 132 ms for MMG. There are two main comments to make about these results. First, during the on-phase the shortening of the contractile elements results at first in a muscle geometry change with low output force. After this, when the slack of the elastic-connective tissue has been taken up, the tension is efficiently transmitted to the tendon. Second, the different force and MMG dynamics in the on- and off-phases determine a counter-clockwise hysteresis with more force produced at a given muscle surface displacement during relaxation. To explain the results, the possible specific roles of some components of the muscle mechanical model, muscle mechanical properties and intra-muscular phenomena taking place during contraction have been discussed

Transients of the force and surface mechanomyogram during cat gastrocnemius tetanic stimulation

The aim of the study was to investigate the time relationship between force and muscle surface displacement, detected as the surface mechanomyogram (MMG) by a laser distance sensor, in the transient phases of a tetanic stimulation. For this purpose the motor nerve of the exposed medial gastrocnemius of four cats was supramaximally stimulated at 30, 40 and 50 Hz for 9 s. Force was detected by a transducer connected at the distal tendon while MMG was measured after pointing the laser beam at the muscle belly. We found that the MMG always anticipated and trailed the force changes during the on- and off-phase of the tetani, respectively. Independently of the stimulation rate, the half-times of the two signals were: on-phase, about 76 ms for force and 33 ms for MMG; off-phase, about 83 ms for force and 132 ms for MMG. There are two main comments to make about these results. First, during the on-phase the shortening of the contractile elements results at first in a muscle geometry change with low output force. After this, when the slack of the elastic-connective tissue has been taken up, the tension is efficiently transmitted to the tendon. Second, the different force and MMG dynamics in the on- and off-phases determine a counter-clockwise hysteresis with more force produced at a given muscle surface displacement during relaxation. To explain the results, the possible specific roles of some components of the muscle mechanical model, muscle mechanical properties and intra-muscular phenomena taking place during contraction have been discussed