ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with myoelectric signal changes associated with muscular work with special reference to energy metabolism, excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, cardiorespiratory response, motor learning, and muscle soreness. These topics will be organized under three main topics, i.e. energy metabolism and neuromuscular regulation, electromyographic estimation of physical work capacity, and electromyographic manifestations of muscle soreness. In Section 5.2, motor unit (MU) and myoelectric signal characteristics, oxygen availability and MU activity, energy metabolism and excitation-contraction processes, and motor unit activity and cardiorespiratory response are discussed. Readers will find the use of electromyography techniques for estimating physical working capacity and motor control in Section 5.3: determination of the maximal work capacity at the neuromuscular fatigue threshold and electromyographic manifestations of neuromuscular adaptations during acquisition of motor tasks. Movement-related cortical potentials are also discussed in Section 5.3 (movement-related cortical potentials and EMG signal amplitude during motor tasks). Finally, a current view of the delayed-onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) is organized in Section 5.4 which contains a brief review of the etiology of DOMS followed by review of acute effects of static stretching on muscle soreness and effects of aerobic exercise on neuromuscular relaxation.
