ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to clarify the meaning of muscle fatigue, indicate how fatigue can be identified, measured and classified, and thus applied in the context of exercise, disease and sport. In the literature there exist many definitions for fatigue, and although measurement techniques have significantly improved over the last century to observe this phenomenon, its aetiology is still a matter of considerable debate. Whether in the context of athletic competition, manual labour or patients with various neuromuscular diseases or chronic fatigue-type syndromes, fatigue is a commonly experienced phenomenon with important consequences. The study of fatigue has a long and illustrious research history, but advancements in its understanding have been made, particularly when fatigue has been investigated in different populations, under differing sport, ergonomic and disease conditions. For example, findings in neuromyopathies, i.e. myasthenia gravis, have presented scientists and clinicians with the opportunity to understand factors controlling force generation and to improve habitual performance. In this chapter, to understand more fully the context and aetiology of fatigue, three important parameters are considered. These include:
1 the status1 of the individual; 2 the task2 required of the individual; and 3 the location of the fatigue.
