EFFECT OF A FATIGUE TEST AND CHEWING TRAINING ON MASTICATORY MUSCLES

The effects of fatigue induced by 30 min of intense chewing before and after 4 weeks of 1 h daily chewing training on masticatory muscles we re studied in 15 healthy subjects while eight subjects served as contr ols. EMG measurements in the postural position and during maximal clen ching in the intercuspal position and clinical examination of the stom atognathic system were performed. Marked clinical signs of dysfunction were recorded after the first fatigue test. The severity of dysfuncti on diminished during the 4-week training period and was back at the ba seline level at the end of it. In the second fatigue test, after the t raining period, the subjects developed less dysfunction. In the contro l group, a mainly stable pattern was found during the observation peri od. There was a great variation in EMG activity during the experimenta l period and there were no statistically significant changes observed between any of the recordings in any of the groups.