title: Preventing fatigue of fast striated muscles of the pelvic floor and slow striated muscles of the limb by manipulating the on-off time of electric stimulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate in vitro the effect of different on-off electrostimulation times on the fatigue of 2 pelvic muscles, the iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus (mainly fast), and the soleus muscle of the limb (mainly slow).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonrandomized controlled trial and before-after trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro study in tissue baths on stabilized preparations of whole striated muscles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young healthy female Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Applied isometric tetanic contractions of various stimulation durations (on-off times) to dissected rat iliococcygeus and pubococcygeus (at 66Hz) and soleus (at 25Hz) muscles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Muscle fatigue with changing on-off, frequency, and stimulation times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The longer the off time, the less the fatigue. Shortening the stimulation time can minimize fatigue. Optimal combinations are presented to limit fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changing on-off time and stimulation time can be used to make electric stimulation of pelvic muscles more effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Research Lab, School of Medicine, University of Antwerp, 10 Wilrijkstr., B-2650 Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poortmans
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wyndaele
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar