Muscle deoxygenation and neuromuscular activation in synergistic muscles during intermittent exercise under hypoxic conditions

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of hypoxia on deoxygenation and neuromuscular activation in synergistic quadriceps femoris (QF) muscles (i.e., the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis) during submaximal intermittent knee extension. Ten healthy men performed isometric intermittent knee extension exercises with the right leg at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction for 3 min while inhaling a normoxic [inspired oxygen (O2) fraction = 0.21] or hypoxic (inspired O2 fraction = 0.10–0.12) gas mixture. Muscle deoxygenation was measured by tissue O2 saturation (StO2), and neuromuscular activation by root mean square (RMS) of the surface electromyographic signals, from individual muscles of the QF using near-infrared spectroscopy and surface electromyography. StO2 was decreased more in hypoxia than normoxia during the exercises, and there was a greater increase in RMS during intermittent knee extension in hypoxia than normoxia in individual muscles of the QF. There were no differences in the ratios of StO2 and RMS in hypoxia compared with normoxia between individual muscles of the QF. These findings suggest that submaximal, isometric, and intermittent exercises in hypoxic conditions enhanced muscle oxygen consumption and muscle activity similarly for synergistic muscles.