Relationship between muscle oxygenation and electromyography activity during sustained isometric contraction

Summary The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between electromyography (EMG) spectrum changes and muscle oxygenation measured by near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS). Each subject performed sustained isometric knee extension at 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction load for 1 min. Surface EMG and TRS were simultaneously recorded from the right vastus lateralis muscle. Mean power frequency (MPF) of the power spectrum was calculated every 5 s during isometric contraction using fast Fourier transform, and decrease in the slope of MPF for 1 min was calculated using the least squares method. The maximal changes in oxygenated haemoglobin and myoglobin (Oxy Hb/Mb) and in deoxygenated haemoglobin and myoglobin (Deoxy Hb/Mb) from pre-contraction values of 1 min were calculated. There were significant relationships between the decrease in the slope of MPF and the maximal changes in Oxy Hb/Mb and Deoxy Hb/Mb (P < 0·05). These findings suggested that changes in Oxy Hb/Mb and Deoxy Hb/Mb indicate muscle fatigue assessed by EMG.