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Healthy aging is associated with a marked decline in motor performance. The functional consequences of applying varying novel or unexpected motor stimuli during intermittent isometric prolonged (fatiguing) motor tasks for lower limb neuromuscular fatigability and steadiness, perception of effort, and blood markers of stress in healthy aged men compared with young men have not been investigated. The participants in this study were 15 young men (aged 22 ± 4 years) and 10 older men (aged 67 ± 6 years). They performed 100 intermittent isometric knee extensions under three experimental conditions involving intermittent isometric contraction tasks according to constant, predictable, and unpredictable torque target sequences. The variability in maximal voluntary contraction averaged 50%, and was 25, 50, and 75% for the three strategies. All included a 5-s contraction and 20-s rest. The main variables were measured before exercise, after 100 repetitions, and 1 h after exercise. In all experimental trials, the decreases in the maximal voluntary contraction and central activation ratio, and the increases in effort sensation and muscle temperature, were smaller in older men than in younger men. The coefficient of variation during the motor performance did not differ between age groups. However, in all three strategies, the dopamine concentration was significantly higher in older than in younger men. The prolactin concentration did not differ significantly between age groups or conditions, although its decrease during loading correlated negatively with the central activation ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unfamiliar or novel physical stimulus induces activation of dopaminergic neurons within the brain and greater activity in areas involved in emotion; considering this, we aimed to establish whether unpredictable prolonged (fatiguing) motor task (vs. constant vs. predictable) evokes greater dopaminergic activity, enhances neuromuscular performance, motor accuracy, and perception of effort, and delays overall central fatigue. Fifteen healthy male volunteers (aged 22 ± 4 years) were required to perform 1 of 3 exercise trials (at least 1 week apart) of 100 intermittent isometric contraction (IIC) tasks involving knee extensions at 60° flexion. Trials were structured differently by simulated contraction intensity. A fatigue task involved 5-s contractions and 20-s rest. Variables measured before, during, and after IIC were electrically induced force, maximal voluntary contraction, central activation ratio, intramuscular temperature, and blood levels of dopamine, cortisol, and prolactin, and intraindividual motor variability and accuracy (constant and absolute error). We found that IIC increased central and peripheral fatigue, force sensation, and T , and decreased absolute and constant error without visual feedback, but did not affect motor variability. There were no significant differences between the three IIC tasks. However, only unpredictable tasks increased dopaminergic activity, which was insufficient to affect central motivation to perform isometric exercise and alter centrally mediated components of fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]