Loading...
Physiological complexity: influence of ageing, disease and neuromuscular fatigue on muscle force and torque fluctuations
Pethick, Jamie Winter, Samantha L Burnley, Mark
Pethick, Jamie
Winter, Samantha L
Burnley, Mark
Editors
Other contributors
Affiliation
Epub Date
Issue Date
2021-09-14
Submitted date
Alternative
Abstract
New Findings: What is the topic of this review? Physiological complexity in muscle force and torque fluctuations, specifically the quantification of complexity, how neuromuscular complexityis altered by perturbations and the potential mechanism underlying changes in neuromuscular complexity. What advances does it highlight? The necessity to calculate both magnitude- and complexity-based measures for the thorough evaluation of force/torque fluctuations. Also the need for further research on neuromuscular complexity, particularly how it relates to the performance of functional activities (e.g. manual dexterity, balance, locomotion). Abstract: Physiological time series produce inherently complex fluctuations. In the last 30 years, methods have been developed to characterise these fluctuations, and have revealed that they contain information about the function of the system producing them. Two broad classes of metrics are used: (1) those which quantify the regularity of the signal (e.g. entropy metrics); and (2) those which quantify the fractal properties of the signal (e.g. detrended fluctuation analysis). Using these techniques, it has been demonstrated that ageing results in a loss of complexity in the time series of a multitude of signals, including heart rate, respiration, gait and, crucially, muscle force or torque output. This suggests that as the body ages, physiological systems become less adaptable (i.e. the systems’ ability to respond rapidly to a changing external environment is diminished). More recently, it has been shown that neuromuscular fatigue causes a substantial loss of muscle torque complexity, a process that can be observed in a few minutes, rather than the decades it requires for the same system to degrade with ageing. The loss of torque complexity with neuromuscular fatigue appears to occur exclusively above the critical torque (at least for tasks lasting up to 30 min). The loss of torque complexity can be exacerbated with previous exercise of the same limb, and reduced by the administration of caffeine, suggesting both peripheral and central mechanisms contribute to this loss. The mechanisms underpinning the loss of complexity are not known but may be related to altered motor unit behaviour as the muscle fatigues.
Citation
Pethick, J., Winter, S.L. and Burnley, M. (2021) Physiological complexity: influence of ageing, disease and neuromuscular fatigue on muscle force and torque fluctuations. Experimental Physiology, 106(1), pp. 2046-2059.
Publisher
Journal
Research Unit
DOI
PubMed ID
34472160 (pubmed)
PubMed Central ID
Embedded videos
Additional Links
Type
Journal article
Language
en
Description
This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Wiley and the Physiological Society in Experimental Physiology on 14/09/2021, available online at: https://doi.org/10.1113/EP089711 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.
Series/Report no.
ISSN
0958-0670
EISSN
1469-445X
ISBN
ISMN
Gov't Doc #
Sponsors
Leverhulme Trust. Grant Number: RPG-2016-440.