%0 Journal Article
%T The role of cocontraction in the impairment of movement accuracy with fatigue
%J Experimental brain research
%D 2008
%A Missenard, Olivier
%A Mottet, Denis
%A Perrey, Stéphane
%V 185
%N 1
%P 151-156
%X The present experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that fatigue-induced impairment in movement accuracy is caused by a decrease in muscle cocontraction rather than a reduced ability to produce muscular force. Seven participants performed fast and accurate elbow extensions aimed at a target, before and after a fatigue protocol. The inertia of the manipulandum was decreased after the fatigue protocol so that the ratio of required to available force during movements was identical pre- and post-fatigue. After the fatigue protocol, movement endpoint accuracy decreased and movement endpoint variability increased. These alterations were associated with a decrease in cocontraction. We concluded that the impairment of movement accuracy during fatigue could not be explained by the lack of available force, but was likely to be due to a fatigue-induced decrease in muscular cocontraction. We then speculate that fatigue influences the relative weights of accuracy and energy economy in the optimisation of sensorimotor control.<p /><p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group
%@ 0014-4819
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-007-1264-x