Similar effects of cooling and fatigue on eccentric and concentric force-velocity relationships in human muscle

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of muscle temperature and fatigue during stretch (eccentric) and shortening (concentric) contractions of the maximally electrically activated human adductor pollicis muscle. After immersion of the lower arm in water baths of four different temperatures, the calculated muscle temperatures were 36.8, 31.6, 26.6, and 22.3°C. Normalized (isometric force = 100%) eccentric force increased with stretch velocity to maximal values of 136.4 ± 1.6 and 162.1 ± 2.0% at 36.8 and 22.3°C, respectively. After repetitive ischemic concentric contractions, fatigue was less at the lower temperatures, and at all temperatures the loss of eccentric force was smaller than the loss of isometric and concentric force. Consequently, normalized eccentric forces increased during fatigue to 159.7 ± 4.6 and 185.7 ± 7.3% at 36.8 and 22.3°C, respectively. Maximal normalized eccentric force increased exponentially (r² = 0.95) when V_max was reduced by cooling and/or fatiguing contractions. This may indicate that a reduction in cross-bridge cycling rate could underlie the significant increases in normalized eccentric force found with cooling and fatigue.