Effect of voluntary vs. artificial activation on the relationship of muscle torque to speed

The speed-torque relationship of the right knee extensor muscle group was investigated in eight untrained subjects (28 +/- 2 yr old). Torque was measured at a specific knee angle during isokinetic concentric or eccentric actions at nine angular velocities (0.17-3.66 rad/s) and during isometric actions. Activation was by "maximal" voluntary effort or by transcutaneous tetanic electrical stimulation that induced an isometric torque equal to 60% (STIM 1) or 45% (STIM 2) of the voluntary isometric value. Torque increased (P less than 0.05) to 1.4 times isometric as the speed of eccentric actions increased to 1.57 rad/s for STIM 1 and STIM 2. Thereafter, increases in eccentric speed did not further increase torque. Torque did not increase (P greater than 0.05) above isometric for voluntary eccentric actions. As the speed of concentric actions increased from 0.00 to 3.66 rad/s, torque decreased (P less than 0.05) more (P less than 0.05) for both STIM 1 and STIM 2 (two-thirds) than for voluntary activation (one-half). As a result of these responses, torque changed three times as much (P less than 0.05) across speeds of concentric and eccentric actions with artificial (3.4-fold) than voluntary (1.1-fold) activation. The results indicate that with artificial activation the normalized speed-torque relationship of the knee extensors in situ is remarkably similar to that of isolated muscle. The relationship for voluntary activation, in contrast, suggests that the ability of the central nervous system to activate the knee extensors during maximal efforts depends on the speed and type of muscle action performed.