Time course of human motoneuron recovery after sustained low-level voluntary activity

Motoneurons often fire repetitively and for long periods. In sustained voluntary contractions the excitability of motoneurons declines. We provide the first detailed description of the time course of human motoneuron recovery after sustained activity at a constant discharge rate. We recorded the discharge of single motor units (MUs, n = 30) with intramuscular wire electrodes inserted in triceps brachii during weak isometric contractions. Subjects (n = 15) discharged single MUs at a constant frequency (∼10 Hz) with visual feedback for prolonged durations (3-7 min) until rectified surface electromyogram (sEMG) of triceps brachii increased by ∼100%. After a rest of 1-2, 15, 30, 60, 120, or 240 s, subjects briefly resumed the contraction with the target MU at the same discharge rate. Each MU was tested with three to four rest periods. The magnitude of sEMG was increased when contractions were resumed, and the target motoneuron discharged at the test frequency following rest intervals of 2-60 s (P = 0.001-0.038). The increased sEMG indicates that greater excitatory drive was needed to discharge the motoneuron at the test rate. The increase in EMG recovered exponentially with a time constant of 28 s but did not return to baseline even after a rest period of ∼240 s. Thus the decline in motoneuron excitability from a weak contraction takes several minutes to recover fully.