MECHANOMYOGRAPHY AND OXYGEN-CONSUMPTION DURING INCREMENTAL CYCLE ERGOMETRY

The purpose of this investigation was to describe and compare the rela tionships for mechanomyography (MMG) and oxygen consumption rate (VO2) versus power output during incremental cycle ergometry. Twenty four a dult males [mean (SD) age, 22.1 (2.0) years] volunteered to perform an incremental test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer. A MMG piezoelect ric recording device was placed mid-thigh over the vastus lateralis mu scle and VO2 was measured using standard open circuit procedures. The r(2) values for the MMG and VO2 versus power output relationships rang ed from 0.79 to 0.99 and 0.97 to 0.99, respectively. In 20 of the 24 s ubjects there was no significant (P > 0.10) difference between the slo pe values for the normalized MMG and VO2 (expressed as a percentage of maximal values) versus power output relationships. The results of thi s study indicate that MMG procedures can be used to quantify muscular activity and monitor changes in exercise intensity during cycle ergome try. Furthermore, the present findings demonstrated a close associatio n between the mechanical (MMG) and metabolic (VO2) aspects of muscular contraction during incremental cycle ergometry.