Predictive Contribution of the Superficial Neck Muscles to Short-Latency Rate of Force Development of the Head and Neck

• Published in: International journal of sports physiology and performance 2023-10, Vol.18 (10), p.1179-1188
• Main Authors: Pelland, Lucie, Gilchrist, Ian A, Mesfar, Wissal, Lommen, Jonathan, Moglo, Kodjo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Electromyography; Humans; Isometric Contraction - physiology; Male; Neck Muscles - physiology; Reproducibility of Results; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1555-0265; 1555-0273
• DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2023-0070

To evaluate the contribution of splenius capitis, sternocleidomastoid, and upper fibers of trapezius activation to the gains in rate of force development (RFD) of the head and neck during maximum voluntary ballistic contractions. RFD gain was facilitated by a single-session intervention for maximum voluntary ballistic contractions in the anterior direction, oriented at 45° to the midsagittal plane, which require active restraint of axial rotation. Muscle activation for the agonist (sternocleidomastoid) and 2 antagonists (splenius capitis and upper fibers of trapezius) was evaluated. The study sample included 12 physically active men (mean age, 22.6 y). RFD (N·m·s-1; 0-100 ms) and integrated muscle activity (50 ms before and 100 ms after force onset) were measured at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 2 days postintervention, relative to baseline. Muscle activation predictive of RFD gains was evaluated by linear regression analysis. RFD reproducibility was evaluated using the coefficient of variation of the typical error. The intervention yielded a 1.95- to 2.39-fold RFD gain (P ≤ .05), with greater RFD gain for participants with a lower peak moment of force (