Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
Abstract
This study investigated how sense of effort is altered during fatigue in nine normal subjects. A contralateral limb matching paradigm was used in which the subjects nondominant (reference) arm was held at 20% MVC with force production matched at one minute intervals by the dominant (marching arm). It was found that matching force increased in a linear fashion with fatigue. It was also observed that EMG amplitude increased in the reference and matching arm and remained elevated during a 15 minute recovery period. As in previous studies strong correlation (r = 0.85) between rmsEMG in the reference arm and matching force was recorded. It was found that a subject was able to estimate force accurately a short time (in 10 minutes) after the fatiguing influence was removed although strength had not fully recovered. As with previous studies it was concluded that judgements of force production were based on the subjects internally generated perception of effort and not on the absolute force being generated
