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Neuromuscular fatigue reduces the temporal structure, or complexity, of muscle torque output. Ischaemic pre-conditioning (IPC) has been demonstrated to have a potent effect on motor output. We therefore tested the hypothesis that IPC would attenuate the fatigue-induced loss of muscle torque complexity. Ten healthy participants performed intermittent isometric knee extension contractions (6 s contraction, 4 s rest) to task failure at 40% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Contractions were preceded by either IPC (three bouts of 5 minutes proximal thigh occlusion at 225 mmHg, interspersed with 5 minutes rest) or SHAM (as IPC, but occlusion at only 20 mmHg) treatments. Torque and EMG signals were sampled continuously. Complexity and fractal scaling were quantified using approximate entropy (ApEn) and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) α scaling exponent. Muscle metabolic rate (mV̇O2) was determined using near-infrared spectroscopy. IPC increased time to task failure by 43 ± 13% (mean ± SEM, P = 0.047). Complexity decreased in both trials (decreased ApEn, increased DFA α; both P < 0.001), though the rate of decrease was significantly slower following IPC (ApEn, –0.2 ± 0.1 vs. –0.4 ± 0.1, P = 0.013; DFA α, 0.2 ± 0.1 vs. 0.3 ± 0.1, P = 0.037). Similarly, the rates of increase in EMG (P = 0.022) and mV̇O2 (P = 0.043) were significantly slower following IPC. These results indicate that IPC slowed the fatigue-induced loss of muscle torque complexity consequent to mechanisms related to motor unit activation.
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