title: Force regulation and electrical properties of motor units in overloaded muscle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The influence of long-term muscle overload on force regulation and electrical properties of motor units (MUs) was investigated in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Compensatory overload of the medial gastrocnemius was induced by tenotomy of its synergists. Electrophysiological experiments were performed on functionally isolated MUs 3 months after the surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Force-frequency curves for overloaded MUs were shifted rightward compared with control, thus MUs developed the same relative tetanic forces at higher frequencies. Higher force increase was achieved in response to an increase in stimulation frequency in overloaded fast MUs compared with control. The optimal tetanic contraction, characterized by the highest force-time area per pulse, was evoked at higher stimulation frequencies for all overloaded MUs except FF. Only minor adaptive changes in MU action potentials occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compensatory muscle overload leads to substantial modifications in MU force development mechanisms, which are MU-type-specific and influence whole muscle force regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, University School of Physical Education in Poznan, 27/39 Królowej Jadwigi Street, 61-871, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kryściak
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, University School of Physical Education in Poznan, 27/39 Królowej Jadwigi Street, 61-871, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Celichowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, University School of Physical Education in Poznan, 27/39 Królowej Jadwigi Street, 61-871, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drzymała-Celichowska
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Research Center, and Faculty of Kinesiology & Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Phillip F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, University School of Physical Education in Poznan, 27/39 Królowej Jadwigi Street, 61-871, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krutki
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001703:Biophysics; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
keywords: MUAP; motor unit; optimal tetanus; overload; rate coding