Muscle Fiber Type Composition and Knee Extension Isometric Strength Fatigue Patterns in Power- and Endurance-Trained Males

Abstract

Muscle fiber type composition in the vastus lateralis and knee extension isometric strength fatigue patterns were assessed in eight endurance-trained and eight power-trained males. Two different 25-trial isometric contraction exercise regimens were administered: a 10-second contraction, 5-second intertrial rest condition designed to induce a fast rate of fatigue and a 10-second contraction, 20-second intertrial rest condition designed to induce a slower rate of fatigue. The power group fatigued almost four times faster than the endurance group in the 10:5 exercise condition. In the 10:20 exercise condition, the endurance group showed no fatigue pattern while the power group had a significant strength decrement of 32%. In both exercise conditions, the power group exhibited more complex fatigue patterns in terms of statistically significant trend components. Maximum isometric strength correlated positively with slow twitch (ST) percent number in power (r = .80) and endurance (r = .48) groups, but negatively with linear trend coefficients in endurance (r = -.62) and power (r = -.80) groups. Maximum isometric strength also correlated higher with fatigue curve trend coefficients than did muscle fiber type composition. Thus, a faster rate of fatigue was associated with higher maximum isometric strength and with higher ST percent number and area. Since maximum isometric strength correlated with body weight (r = .86 for groups combined), both maximum isometric strength and muscle mass appear to be more important determinants of knee extension isometric strength fatigue patterns than muscle fiber type composition.