Sex Differences in Arm Muscle Fatigability With Cognitive Demand in Older Adults

Pereira, Hugo M.; Spears, Vincent C.; Schlinder-Delap, Bonnie; Yoon, Taek Rim; Harkins, April L.; Nielson, Kristy A.; Bement, Marie Hoeger; Hunter, Sandra K.

doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4205-1

Cited by 25 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The magnitude of endurance time impairment reported in the current study was −13% and −25% in 1‐back and 2‐back, respectively, compared to control condition. These findings are consistent with previous studies reporting a similar range of decline in endurance time during CMDT (i.e., ~−10 to −25%) using concomitant complex mental‐math tasks (Keller‐Ross et al, ; Pereira et al, ; Yoon et al, ). However, in these three studies, endurance performance was unchanged compared to a simple mental‐math task condition.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…One of our hypotheses was that the development of neuromuscular fatigue could have been modified during CMDT compared to a control condition, explaining in part the decrease in endurance performance. In accordance with previous studies (Keller-Ross et al, 2014;Pereira et al, 2015;Yoon et al, 2009), we found a similar amount of neuromuscular fatigue at TF (i.e., identical decrease in MVC between conditions), despite significantly lower endurance time in both CMDT compared to control. With the aim to clarify the origin of the neuromuscular impairments, we investigated the kinetics of peripheral and central mechanisms of fatigue throughout two CMDT protocols and a control condition.…”

Section: Mechanisms Underlying Reduced Performance During Cmdtsupporting

confidence: 93%

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Influence of cognitive load on the dynamics of neurophysiological adjustments during fatiguing exercise

et al. 2019

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We aimed to determine the neurophysiological mechanisms associated with reduced endurance performance during cognitive‐motor dual task at different levels of cognitive load, compared to a motor task alone. Eighteen healthy men performed isometric quadriceps contractions at 15% of maximal voluntary contraction (blocks of 170 s interspaced by neuromuscular evaluations) until exhaustion. This task was performed on three separate days: (a) in the absence of concomitant cognitive task, (b) with concomitant 1‐back task, and (c) with concomitant 2‐back task. Autonomic nervous system activity, perceived exertion, and cognitive performance were continuously monitored. Peripheral and central determinants of neuromuscular function were assessed at rest, between each block, and at task failure using femoral nerve stimulation. Endurance time was shorter during 2‐back (982 ± 545 s) and 1‐back (1,128 ± 592 s) conditions, compared with control (1,306 ± 836 s). Voluntary activation level was lower in 2‐back (87.1%; p < 0.001) and 1‐back (88.6%; p = 0.04) conditions compared to control (91.2%) at isotime (100% of the shortest test duration). Sympathetic activity showed a greater increase in 2‐back condition compared to control. Perceived muscular exertion was higher during 2‐back than during control. Cognitive performance decreased similarly with time during both cognitive‐motor dual task but was always lower during 2‐back condition. Motor performance is reduced when adding a concomitant demanding memory task to a prolonged isometric exercise. This can be explained by the interaction of various psychological and neurophysiological factors including higher perceived exertion, greater perturbations of autonomic nervous system activity, and cerebral impairments leading to earlier onset of central fatigue.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Mechanisms Underlying Reduced Performance During Cmdtsupporting

confidence: 93%

Influence of cognitive load on the dynamics of neurophysiological adjustments during fatiguing exercise

et al. 2019

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“…Both old and young women had greater increases in fatigability than men when the cognitive challenge (counting backwards by a two digit number) was imposed during an isometric fatiguing contraction sustained at 20% maximal voluntary isometric contraction with the elbow flexor muscles (52, 69). Certainly, there are widespread sex differences in brain activation (10) during cognitive tasks with some, but minimal, differences during motor tasks (99).…”

Section: Current Knowledge On Sex Differences In Performance Fatigmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relevance of Sex Differences in Performance Fatigability

Hunter

2016

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

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207

250

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Performance fatigability differs between men and women for a range of fatiguing tasks. Women are usually less fatigable than men and this is most widely described for isometric fatiguing contractions, and some dynamic tasks. The sex difference in fatigability is specific to the task demands so that one mechanism is not universal, including any sex differences in skeletal muscle physiology, muscle perfusion and voluntary activation. However, there are substantial knowledge gaps about the task dependency of the sex differences in fatigability, the involved mechanisms and the relevance to clinical populations and with advanced age. The knowledge gaps are in part due to the significant deficits in the number of women included in performance fatigability studies despite a gradual increase in the inclusion of women over the last 20 years. Therefore, this review 1) provides a rationale for the limited knowledge about sex differences in performance fatigability, 2) summarizes the current knowledge on sex differences in fatigability and the potential mechanisms across a range of tasks, 3) highlights emerging areas of opportunity in clinical populations, and 4) suggests strategies to close the knowledge gap and understanding the relevance of sex differences in performance fatigability. The limited understanding about sex differences in fatigability in healthy and clinical populations, presents as a field ripe with opportunity for high impact studies. Such studies will inform on the limitations of men and women during athletic endeavors, ergonomic tasks and daily activities. Because fatigability is required for effective neuromuscular adaptation, sex differences in fatigability studies will also inform on optimal strategies for training and rehabilitation in both men and women.

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“…Each participant was seated upright in an adjustable chair, with the nondominant arm abducted slightly to the participant's side and the elbow resting on a padded support with the elbow joint flexed to 90°. The setup was similar to that described previously (57,58). In brief, the forearm was placed in a modified wrist/hand/thumb orthosis (Orthomerica, Newport Beach, CA), and the forearm was placed midway between pronation and supination.…”

Section: Forcementioning

confidence: 99%

Oscillations in neural drive and age-related reductions in force steadiness with a cognitive challenge

Pereira

Schlinder-Delap

Keenan

et al. 2019

Journal of Applied Physiology

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A cognitive challenge when imposed during a low-force isometric contraction will exacerbate sex- and age-related decreases in force steadiness, but the mechanism is not known. We determined the role of oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units on force steadiness during a muscle contraction with a concurrent cognitive challenge. Forty-nine young adults (19–30 yr; 25 women, 24 men) and 36 old adults (60–85 yr; 19 women, 17 men) performed a cognitive challenge (counting backward by 13) during an isometric elbow flexion task at 5% of maximal voluntary contraction. Single-motor units were decomposed from high-density surface EMG recordings. For a subgroup of participants, motor units were matched during control and cognitive challenge trials, so the same motor unit was analyzed across conditions. Reduced force steadiness was associated with greater oscillations in the synaptic input to motor units during both control and cognitive challenge trials ( r = 0.45–0.47, P < 0.01). Old adults and young women showed greater oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units and decreased force steadiness when the cognitive challenge was imposed, but young men showed no change across conditions (session × age × sex, P < 0.05). Oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units is a potential mechanism for altered force steadiness when a cognitive challenge is imposed during low-force contractions in young women and old adults. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We found that oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units were associated with a reduction in force steadiness when a cognitive challenge was imposed during low-force contractions of the elbow flexor muscles in young women and old men and women but not young men. Age- and sex-related muscle weakness was associated with these changes.

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Sex Differences in Arm Muscle Fatigability With Cognitive Demand in Older Adults

Cited by 25 publications

References 41 publications

Influence of cognitive load on the dynamics of neurophysiological adjustments during fatiguing exercise

Influence of cognitive load on the dynamics of neurophysiological adjustments during fatiguing exercise

The Relevance of Sex Differences in Performance Fatigability

Oscillations in neural drive and age-related reductions in force steadiness with a cognitive challenge

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