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. 2024 Dec;12(23):e70134.
doi: 10.14814/phy2.70134.

Muscle contractile properties and perceived fatigue in the general and diseased population

Isa H Mast  1 , Neeltje A E Allard  1 , Dominique Ten Haaf  2 , Anouk A F Stoffels  3 , Lando Janssen  1 , Hieronymus W H van Hees  3 , Silvie Timmers  4 , Bregina T P Hijmans-Kersten  1 , Maria T E Hopman  1 , Laurien M Buffart  1
Affiliations

Muscle contractile properties and perceived fatigue in the general and diseased population

Isa H Mast et al. Physiol Rep. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Knowledge of muscle contractile properties, physical fitness, and their associations with perceived fatigue may provide insights into mechanisms inducing fatigue and treatment targets. We aimed to identify differences in contractile properties and physical fitness between populations, and examine associations with perceived fatigue. We pooled data on perceived fatigue, physical fitness, and contractile properties from six studies, including a control group (n = 90), cancer survivors (n = 27), patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; n = 16), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML; n = 20), and statin users (n = 64). We evaluated differences between populations, and associations of contractile properties and physical fitness with perceived fatigue. Compared with the control group, we found differences in contractile properties of patients with COPD (larger muscle force decline: β = -10.5%, 95% CI = -16.7; -4.2, increase in early relaxation time (Rt): β = 84.4%, 95% CI = 51.7; 117.0, increase in half Rt: β = 83.1%, 95% CI = 45.5; 120.7, muscle force rise (MFR): β = 0.2%/ms, 95% CI = 0.1; 0.3, and decrease in MFR: β = -24.3%, 95% CI = -35.7; -13.0) and statin users (early Rt: β = -5.4 ms, 95% CI = -10.0; -0.8, increase in early Rt: β = 19.8%, 95% CI = 2.5; 37.1). Associations between contractile properties and perceived fatigue varied across populations. Longer relaxation times were associated with higher perceived fatigue in hemato-oncological populations. To conclude, contractile properties were impaired in patients with COPD and statin users. Associations between contractile properties and perceived fatigue varied across populations. In hemato-oncological populations, impaired muscle relaxation was associated with higher perceived fatigue.

Keywords: diseased population; fatigability; muscle function; muscle relaxation times; perceived fatigue.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare no conflicts of interest. The results of the study have been presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipulation.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Average signals representing the fatigability protocol in each of the population subgroups, with their coefficient of variation (CV) presented in the legend. Panel (a) shows muscle force decline, which presents a larger decline during the fatigability protocol in patients with COPD (light blue) compared to the control group (black). Panel (b) shows a larger increase in early relaxation time during the fatigability protocol in statin users (dark blue) and patients with COPD (light blue) compared to the control group (black), Panel (c) shows maximal force rise, which shows a larger reduction during the fatigability protocol in patients with COPD (light blue) compared to the control group (black).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Visual representation of the association represented by the regression coefficient (β) and upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence interval (CI), between (a) half relaxation time, (b) early relaxation time, (c) increase in early relaxation time, and (d) maximal force rise with fatigue across the total population and within population subgroups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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