TY - JOUR
T1 - Fatigue-induced alterations in the spatial distribution of lumbar erector spinae activity in older versus young adults
AU - Parrella, Martina
AU - Borzuola, Riccardo
AU - Siciliano, Franco Pio
AU - Arvanitidis, Michail
AU - Nuccio, Stefano
AU - Falla, Deborah
AU - Piacentini, Maria Francesca
AU - Macaluso, Andrea
N1 - © 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2025/6/26
Y1 - 2025/6/26
N2 - PURPOSE: This study examined differences in the spatial distribution of lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle activity during a submaximal isometric trunk extension contraction between older and younger adults.METHODS: Thirteen older adults (OLDER) and thirteen young adults (YOUNG) participated. High-density surface electromyography signals were recorded from the LES muscle during an isometric trunk extension task at 30% of maximal voluntary isometric force until failure. The spatial distribution of muscle activity was assessed via the x and y coordinates of the centroid of the root mean square map. Muscle fibre conduction velocity (MFCV) was calculated as a physiological index of local muscle fatigue. Force steadiness was quantified using the coefficient of variation (CoV) of force.RESULTS: MFCV values significantly decreased during the fatiguing task (p < 0.001), with the two groups showing a similar rate of decline. Significant "Time*Group" interactions were found for the centroid displacement along both the y axis (p = 0.017) and the x axis (p = 0.006), with OLDER showing a cranial shift of muscle activity and YOUNG a lateral shift. Endurance time was similar between groups (p = 0.749). The CoV was consistently higher in OLDER throughout the task (p = 0.001).CONCLUSION: This study highlights age-related differences in LES activity adaptations to muscle fatigue, with older adults showing potentially protective, but less efficient recruitment strategies. In addition, older participants demonstrated poorer trunk force control during the task.
AB - PURPOSE: This study examined differences in the spatial distribution of lumbar erector spinae (LES) muscle activity during a submaximal isometric trunk extension contraction between older and younger adults.METHODS: Thirteen older adults (OLDER) and thirteen young adults (YOUNG) participated. High-density surface electromyography signals were recorded from the LES muscle during an isometric trunk extension task at 30% of maximal voluntary isometric force until failure. The spatial distribution of muscle activity was assessed via the x and y coordinates of the centroid of the root mean square map. Muscle fibre conduction velocity (MFCV) was calculated as a physiological index of local muscle fatigue. Force steadiness was quantified using the coefficient of variation (CoV) of force.RESULTS: MFCV values significantly decreased during the fatiguing task (p < 0.001), with the two groups showing a similar rate of decline. Significant "Time*Group" interactions were found for the centroid displacement along both the y axis (p = 0.017) and the x axis (p = 0.006), with OLDER showing a cranial shift of muscle activity and YOUNG a lateral shift. Endurance time was similar between groups (p = 0.749). The CoV was consistently higher in OLDER throughout the task (p = 0.001).CONCLUSION: This study highlights age-related differences in LES activity adaptations to muscle fatigue, with older adults showing potentially protective, but less efficient recruitment strategies. In addition, older participants demonstrated poorer trunk force control during the task.
KW - Muscle fatigue
KW - Ageing
KW - Erector spinae
KW - High-density EMG
KW - Low back
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008961873
U2 - 10.1007/s00421-025-05864-5
DO - 10.1007/s00421-025-05864-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 40571745
SN - 1439-6319
JO - European Journal of Applied Physiology
JF - European Journal of Applied Physiology
ER -