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Purpose: Although it has been largely acknowledged that isometric neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) exercise induces larger muscle damage than voluntary contractions, the corresponding effects on muscle energetics remain to be determined. Voluntary exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) has been reported to have minor slight effects on muscle metabolic response to subsequent dynamic exercise, but the magnitude of muscle energetics alterations for NMES EIMD has never been documented., Methods: ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements were performed in 13 young healthy males during a standardized rest-exercise-recovery protocol before (D0) and 2 d (D2) and 4 d (D4) after NMES EIMD on knee extensor muscles. Changes in kinetics of phosphorylated metabolite concentrations (i.e., phosphocreatine [PCr], inorganic phosphate [Pi], and adenosine triphosphate [ATP]) and pH were assessed to investigate aerobic and anaerobic rates of ATP production and energy cost of contraction (Ec)., Results: Resting [Pi]/[PCr] ratio increased at D2 (+39%) and D4 (+29%), mainly owing to the increased [Pi] (+43% and +32%, respectively), whereas a significant decrease in resting pH was determined (-0.04 pH unit and -0.03 pH unit, respectively). PCr recovery rate decreased at D2 (-21%) and D4 (-23%) in conjunction with a significantly decreased total rate of ATP production at D4 (-18%) mainly owing to an altered aerobic ATP production (-19%). Paradoxically, Ec was decreased at D4 (-21%)., Conclusion: Overall, NMES EIMD led to intramuscular acidosis in resting muscle and mitochondrial impairment in exercising muscle. Alterations of noncontractile processes and/or adaptive mechanisms to muscle damage might account for the decreased Ec during the dynamic exercise.

Summary Background & aims Branched-chain amino acids promote muscle-protein synthesis, reduce protein oxidation and have positive effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and reactive oxygen species scavenging. The purpose of the study was to determine the potential benefits of branched-chain amino acids supplementation on changes in force capacities, plasma amino acids concentration and muscle metabolic alterations after exercise-induced muscle damage. Methods 31 P magnetic resonance spectroscopy and biochemical analyses were used to follow the changes after such damage. Twenty six young healthy men were randomly assigned to supplemented branched-chain amino acids or placebo group. Knee extensors maximal voluntary isometric force was assessed before and on four days following exercise-induced muscle damage. Concentrations in phosphocreatine [PCr], inorganic phosphate [Pi] and pH were measured during a standardized rest-exercise-recovery protocol before, two (D2) and four (D4) days after exercise-induced muscle damage. Results No significant difference between groups was found for changes in maximal voluntary isometric force (−24% at D2 and −21% at D4). Plasma alanine concentration significantly increased immediately after exercise-induced muscle damage (+25%) in both groups while concentrations in glycine, histidine, phenylalanine and tyrosine decreased. No difference between groups was found in the increased resting [Pi] (+42% at D2 and +34% at D4), decreased resting pH (−0.04 at D2 and −0.03 at D4) and the slower PCr recovery rate (−18% at D2 and −24% at D4). Conclusions The damaged muscle was not able to get benefits out of the increased plasma branched-chain amino acids availability to attenuate changes in indirect markers of muscle damage and muscle metabolic alterations following exercise-induced muscle damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed at investigating the mechanisms involved in the force reduction induced by two electrical stimulation (ES) protocols that were designed to activate motor units differently. Methods: The triceps surae of 11 healthy subjects (8 men; age, ~28 yr) was activated using ES applied over the tibial nerve. Two ES protocols (conventional [CONV]: 20 Hz, 0.05 ms vs wide-pulse high-frequency [WPHF]: 80 Hz, 1 ms) were performed and involved 40 trains (6 s on-6 s off) delivered at an intensity (IES) evoking 20% of maximal voluntary contraction. To analyze the mechanical properties of the motor units activated at IES, force--frequency relation was evoked before and after each protocol. H-reflex and M-wave responses evoked by the last stimulation pulse were also assessed during each ES protocol. Electromyographic responses (ΣEMG) were recorded after each train to analyze the behavior of the motor units activated at IES. Metabolic variables, including relative concentrations of phosphocreatine and inorganic phosphate as well as intracellular pH, were assessed using 31P-MR spectroscopy during each protocol. Results: Larger H-reflex amplitudes were observed during WPHF as compared with CONV, whereas opposite findings were observed for M-wave amplitudes. Despite this difference, both the force reduction (-26%) and metabolic changes were similar between the two protocols. The CONV protocol induced a rightward shift of the force--frequency relation, whereas a significant reduction of the ΣEMG evoked at IES was observed only for the WPHF. Conclusions: These results suggest that a decreased number of active motor units mainly contributed to WPHF-induced force decrease, whereas intracellular processes were most likely involved in the force reduction occurring during CONV stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]