Vibration-induced muscle fatigue, a possible contribution to musculoskeletal injury

Abstract

Localized muscle fatigue resulting from 30-min sustained and intermittent grip exertions of 5% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) with and without hand-vibration exposure (10 Hz, 7 mm displacement amplitude) was investigated. Muscle fatigue was quantified by the magnitude of the twitch force elicited in the right flexor digitorum superficialis muscle of the long finger using the low-frequency fatigue (LFF) method. The influence of vibration in the sustained grip exertion condition exacerbates fatigue as seen with the reduction in twitch force 30-60 min post-work task. Intermittent low grip force exertion conditions with and without vibration exposure show negligible fatigue, suggesting the benefit of rest in the work cycle. Perception of muscle fatigue was dissociated from the objective measure of twitch force, suggesting that LFF was not perceived. The presence of LFF and the lack of perception of LFF may increase the risk for the development of musculoskeletal disorders. The findings of this study may apply to the design of the work cycles and tasks that require the use of vibratory tools.

Countering postural posteffects following prolonged exposure to whole-body vibration: a sensorimotor treatment

“…vibration and sustained muscle activity); it could therefore be expected that these well known locomotor and postural posteVects would occur. That muscle fatigue contributes to postural alteration (Adamo et al 2002;Park and Martin 1993); however, motor posteVects are generally considered of central origin (e.g. Craske and Craske 1986;Duclos et al 2004Duclos et al , 2007GurWnkel et al 1989).…”

Human skeletal muscle structure and function preserved by vibration muscle exercise following 55 days of bed rest

“…Resistive-like muscle actions can be also initiated by vibration forces on muscle imposed by high frequency electrical or mechanical stimuli thereby supporting muscular strength as shown in animals (Schu¨ler and Pette 1996) and humans (Adamo et al 2002;Delecluse et al 2003;Griffin et al 2001;Maffiuletti et al 2002;Roelants et al 2004). Frequency-dependent vibration forces were successfully used as interventions to increase muscle power and force in physical training protocols or in rehabilitation (Cardinale and Bosco 2003;McBride et al 2004).…”

“…Simple muscle vibration or strenuous shaking impulses on local muscle groups coming from different vectors or angles have been frequently reported to show multiple adverse effects (e.g., edema, nerve conductivity problems; cf. Adamo et al 2002;Bongiovanni et al 1990;Gauthier et al 1981;Ivanenko et al 2000;Martin and Park 1997;Rittweger et al 2003;Roelants et al 2004). Therefore, inclusion of a second control group subjected to shaking/vibration impulses of the calf or thigh region without Fig.…”

Task-specific recruitment of motor units for vibration damping

“…The natural frequencies of these tissues range between 15 and 50 Hz, depending on the levels of muscle activity and, therefore, soft-tissue resonance after heelstrike will also be within this range. Vibrations can cause different types of soft-tissue damage (Adamo et al, 2002;Neckling et al, 2002), and it has been shown that one function of the lower extremity muscles is to damp soft-tissue vibrations (Wakeling et al, 2002a). The requirement for the muscles to damp vibration is particularly great when the tissues approach resonance.…”