A muscle fatigue index based on the relationship between preceding background activity, and myotatic reflex response (MRR)

An index of muscular fatigue was developed using the myotatic reflex response (MRR). The MRR of masseter muscles is evoked by periodical mechanical chin tapping during clenching. The MRR waveform is composed of somewhat synchronized action potentials of muscle fibers. The authors estimate the change of the MRR waveform due to fatigue using the instantaneous frequency pattern (IFP) with the Hilbert transform. As a result, the features of IFP were different from the monotonic changes that have been observed by the conventional fatigue indices. That is, a plateau IFP was observed ahead of considerable fatigue, whereas the IFP showed a monopeak pattern during the other phase of an exercise. Also, the relationship between the preceding background mean power frequency and the instantaneous frequency around the first part of the MRR waveform was nonlinear during the whole process of fatigue. These features may allow the authors to estimate the degree of fatigue at each time instant.