Age-related changes in motor unit firing pattern of vastus lateralis muscle during low-moderate contraction
Open accessAbstract
Age-related changes in motor unit activation properties remain unclear for locomotor muscles such as quadriceps muscles, although these muscles are preferentially atrophied with aging and play important roles in daily living movements. The present study investigated and compared detailed motor unit firing characteristics for the vastus lateralis muscle during isometric contraction at low to moderate force levels in the elderly and young. Fourteen healthy elderly men and 15 healthy young men performed isometric ramp-up contraction to 70 % of the maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) during knee extension. Multichannel surface electromyograms were recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle using a two-dimensional grid of 64 electrodes and decomposed with the convolution kernel compensation technique to extract individual motor units. Motor unit firing rates in the young were significantly higher (~+29.7 %) than in the elderly (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in firing rates among motor units with different recruitment thresholds at each force level in the young (p < 0.05) but not in the elderly (p > 0.05). Firing rates at 60 % of the MVC force level for the motor units recruited at <20 % of MVC were significantly correlated with MVC force in the elderly (r = 0.885, p < 0.0001) but not in the young (r = 0.127, p > 0.05). These results suggest that the motor unit firing rate in the vastus lateralis muscle is affected by aging and muscle strength in the elderly and/or age-related strength loss is related to motor unit firing/recruitment properties.
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The motor unit decomposition procedure was previously extensively validated on signals from various skeletal muscles.
“We followed the decomposition procedure that was previously extensively validated on signals from various skeletal muscles (7,17,21,25–28).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
The Signal analysis section says the CKC decomposition technique had been extensively validated with simulated and experimental signals. It does not specify validation across various skeletal muscles; the Limitations section specifically identifies prior accuracy testing in the vastus lateralis muscle. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn older adults, maximal muscle strength is positively correlated with motor unit firing rate.
“Our studies also demonstrated that in older adults, the maximal muscle strength are positively correlated with motor unit firing rate (7) and both muscle thickness and surface electromyography (EMG) amplitudes (8).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
Significant differences in firing rate among the motor units with different recruitment thresholds are normally presented in young adults and this is known as onion skin phenomenon.
“Significant differences in firing rate among the motor units with different recruitment thresholds are normally presented in young adults (7) and this is known as onion skin phenomenon (39,40).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
This age-related change in relationship in firing rate among different motor unit groups may be muscle specific and can be explained by decrease in the firing rate of low-recruitment threshold motor units in older adults.
“This age-related change in relationship in firing rate among different motor unit groups may be muscle specific and can be explained by decrease in the firing rate of low-recruitment threshold motor units in older adults (7).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
This structure is changed in older adults where firing rates among the motor units with different recruitment thresholds start to overlap.
“However, this structure is changed in older adults where firing rates among the motor units with different recruitment thresholds start to overlap (7).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
Discharges with interdischarge intervals < 33.3 or >250 ms were excluded because firing rates calculated from this range are unusually high (>30 Hz) or low (<4 Hz) for the VL muscle.
“We excluded the discharges with interdischarge intervals < 33.3 or >250 ms because firing rates that calculated from this range of interdischarge intervals are unusually high (>30 Hz) or low (<4 Hz) for the VL muscle (7,20,21,30,31).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
The procedures for calculating motor unit firing rates had been previously used in our studies.
“These procedures for calculating motor unit firing rates had been previously used in our studies (7,17,20).”
From Modulation of Neural and Muscular Adaptation Processes During Resistance Training by Fish Protein Ingestions in Older Adults (2020) · cites this paper as [7]
There is a positive correlation between motor unit firing pattern of the vastus lateralis muscle and MVC force of the quadriceps femoris muscles in the elderly.
“Our previous study identified a positive correlation between motor unit firing pattern of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle and MVC force of the quadriceps femoris muscles in the elderly (Watanabe et al., 2016).”
From Effect of resistance training and fish protein intake on motor unit firing pattern and motor function of elderly (2018) · cites this paper as Watanabe et al., 2016
The response of low-recruitment threshold motor units might be more plastic to the effect of resistance training and aging.
“From the results of the present and previous studies, we suggest that the response of low-recruitment threshold motor units might be more plastic to the effect of resistance training and aging.”
From Effect of resistance training and fish protein intake on motor unit firing pattern and motor function of elderly (2018) · cites this paper as Watanabe et al., 2016
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The Influence of Age and Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Motor Function
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- Authors
- Watanabe, K., Holobar, A., Kouzaki, M., Ogawa, M., Akima, H., & Moritani, T.
- Affiliations
- Chukyo University (JP)
- University of Maribor (SI)
- Kyoto University (JP)
- Research Center of Health, Physical Fitness and Sports, Nagoya University (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Watanabe, Kohei
- Venue
- AGE
- Published
- 2016-04-15
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 48-48
- ISSN
- 0161-9152 (ISSN-L)
- 1574-4647
- PMC
- PMC5005913
- OpenAlex
- W2338519442
- Cited by
- 115
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 4.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- AGE (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS (L5-5550)
- Council for Science, Technology and Innovation
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (14533567, 26750309)
- Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Muscle activation and electromyography studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Keywords
- motor unit firing rate, vastus lateralis, aging, older adults, isometric contraction, motor unit recruitment, muscle strength decline, quadriceps, surface electromyography, motor unit decomposition, knee extension
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Electromyography, Humans, Isometric Contraction, Male, Middle Aged, Recruitment, Neurophysiological, Muscle Fatigue, Quadriceps Muscle, Muscle Strength
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