Evidence for complex system integration and dynamic neural regulation of skeletal muscle recruitment during exercise in humans

• Published in: British journal of sports medicine 2004-12, Vol.38 (6), p.797-806
• Main Authors: St Clair Gibson, A, Noakes, T D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Brain; Chronic fatigue syndrome; Education; electromyographic; EMG; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Exercise Tolerance - physiology; Fatigue; Fatigue - physiopathology; Governors; Heart rate; Humans; IEMG; integrated electromyographic; maximal voluntary contraction; Metabolism; Metabolites; Models, Neurological; Muscle Fatigue - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Musculoskeletal system; MVC; neural recruitment; Neurons; pacing strategies; Physical fitness; Physiology; Recruitment; Recruitment, Neurophysiological - physiology; Rodents; Sensation - physiology; Sports medicine; teleoanticipation
• ISSN: 0306-3674; 1473-0480
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2003.009852

A model is proposed in which the development of physical exhaustion is a relative rather than an absolute event and the sensation of fatigue is the sensory representation of the underlying neural integrative processes. Furthermore, activity is controlled as part of a pacing strategy involving active neural calculations in a “governor” region of the brain, which integrates internal sensory signals and information from the environment to produce a homoeostatically acceptable exercise intensity. The end point of the exercise bout is the controlling variable. This is an example of a complex, non-linear, dynamic system in which physiological systems interact to regulate activity before, during, and after the exercise bout.