title: Eccentric exercise does not affect common drive in the biceps brachii.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of eccentric exercise on common drive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven men, age 23.6 ± 2.1 (mean ± SD) years, performed trapezoid isometric muscle actions of the dominant forearm flexors immediately before and after 1 of 2 interventions: (a) 6 sets of 10 maximal eccentric isokinetic muscle actions of the forearm flexors; or (b) 10 minutes of quiet resting. Surface electromyographic signals were recorded from the biceps brachii and decomposed into individual motor unit action potential trains. Mean firing rate patterns were calculated for each motor unit, and all possible combinations were cross-correlated to measure common drive.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peak cross-correlation coefficients were generally in the 0.2-0.5 range and occasionally as high as 0.7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These coefficients were not, however, affected by the eccentric exercise, despite a 19.5% decrease in strength, indicating that the eccentric exercise did not affect common drive. Muscle Nerve, 2012.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, 110 Huston Huffman Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA. tbeck@ou.edu
authors.forename: Travis W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Kasishke
authors.forename: Matt S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Defreitas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult