Acta physiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Physiol. Scand. · Jan 1991
Effect of training on central factors in fatigue following two- and one-leg static exercise in man.
Leg strength and fatigue developed during 150 repeated two- and one-leg isometric maximal voluntary contractions were determined before and after a 5-week one- (n = 6) or two- (n = 7) leg training programme including a control group of five subjects. Two- and one-leg training increased two- and one-leg strength by 59 (range 8-107) and 36% (-1-69) respectively (P less than 0.01) with no significant difference between the two groups. Two-leg training decreased (P less than 0.05) fatigue only during two-leg maximal voluntary contractions (from 20 [11-26] to 13% [6-27]); and one-leg training fatigue only during one-leg maximal voluntary contractions (from 20 [15-23] to 11% [9-24]) despite the fact that both legs were trained. ⋯ No training effects were seen in the control group. The results show that an approximately 47% increase in muscle strength may take place without a significant change in the relative percentage of muscle fibre types or in the average muscle fibre size. Furthermore, the specificity of the training response to fatigue developed during repeated two- and one-leg maximal voluntary contractions suggests a change in the nervous influence on the motor units.
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Acta Physiol. Scand. · Jan 1991
Comparative StudyEvidence for a link between mechanical and electrical alternans in acutely ischaemic myocardium of anaesthetized dogs.
In order to examine the relation between mechanical alternans and associated electrical alternans during acute myocardial ischaemia, we determined the effect of a ventricular premature beat and calcium antagonists on mechanical and electrical alternans during acute coronary occlusion in anaesthetized dogs. Isometric contractions and unipolar electrocardiograms were recorded from ischaemic myocardium. During coronary occlusion, mechanical alternans was accompanied by electrical alternans, which was an alternate change in the ST segment elevation, i.e. the higher ST and the lower ST. ⋯ A fixed correspondence was also observed between mechanical alternans and the variation in the time taken for repolarization of the monophasic action potential. Verapamil and diltiazem inhibited both electrical and mechanical alternans. The present results support the idea that a common mechanism, such as a beat-to-beat cycle of the transmembrane and intracellular movement of calcium ions, may play a role in the mechanisms of electrical and mechanical alternans.