title: Proprioceptive facilitation of muscle tension during unilateral and bilateral knee extension.
abstract: The effects of double neuromuscular facilitation (DNF) in unilateral movements and of quadruple neuromuscular facilitation (QNF) in bilateral movements were studied in 42 physically active college-age male subjects. Results showed a 10.4% significant increase of maximal knee extension torque output when unilateral extension was preceded by a knee flexion on an isokinetic exerciser and a 16.7% increase of maximal torque in the bilateral condition of simultaneous alternating flexion-extension when compared to the simultaneous extension movement. Consequently, the increased peak torque observed in the unilateral and bilateral experimental conditions in which knee extension was preceded by a knee flexion appears to be the result of a combination of neuromuscular influences and stored elastic energy.
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Ste-Foy, Qc, Canada.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sylvestre
authors.forename: F I
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Katch
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Katch
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Lagassé
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*