Surface Electromyogram Power Spectrum in Human Quadriceps Muscle During Incremental Exercise

Spectral electromyographic (EMG) changes in human quadriceps muscles were studied to reinvestigate discrepant results concerning mean power frequency (MPF) changes during dynamic exercise. An incremental test consisting of a quasi-linear increase in mechanical power on a bicycle ergometer (for 20-100% of maximal aerobic power) was performed by forty subjects. During this test, surface EMGs from the quadriceps muscles showed that EMG total power (PEMG) increased with a curvilinear pattern for every subject, whereas MPF kinetics varied from one subject to another. PEMG changes had the same shape, which would lead to disappointing results in terms of discrimination between subjects. The ability of normalized MPF kinetics to define significant clusters of subjects was tested using a principal component analysis. This analysis led to the projection of all experiments onto a plane and revealed a relevant grouping of MPF profiles. Differences in MPF kinetics between clusters are interpreted in terms of various possibilities of balance between physiological events leading to an increase or a decrease in MPF.