The EMG Signal

EMG - Force Relationship Signal Processing.3

EMG - Force Relationship

An

EMG signal will not necessarily reflect the total amount of force (or torque) a muscle can generate
The number of motor units recorded by electrodes will be less than the total number of motor units that are firing - electrodes cant pick-up all motor units

EMG - Force Relationship: Amplitude

If

a newly recruited motor unit is close to the electrode the relative increase in the EMG signal amplitude will be greater than the corresponding increase in force If a motor unit is too far from the electrode the amplitude will not change but the force will increase

EMG - Force Relationship: Amplitude

Motor

unit firing rate will increase as force demand increases

Initially force rises rapidly due to increased firing rate
EMG amplitude will increase less rapidly

EMG - Force Relationship: Firing Rate

As

force output increases beyond the rate of newly recruited motor units
Firing rate will increase Force produced by the motor unit will saturate

EMG - Force Relationship: Firing Rate

As

force output increases beyond the rate of newly recruited motor units
Firing rate will increase Force produced by the motor unit will saturate

Total

EMG amplitude increases more than force output (i.e., non-linear)

Force Motor Unit Firing Rate Motor Unit Firing Rate

EMG

EMG - Force Relationship: Isometric vs. Isotonic Contractions

Lippold

(1952), Close (1972) & BiglandRitchie (1981) often cited in suggesting there is a linear relationship between IEMG and tension. Zuniga and Simmon (1969) & Vrendenbregt and Rau (1973) suggested a non-linear relationship exists

EMG - Force Relationship: Isometric vs. Isotonic Contractions

EMG - Force Relationship: Isometric vs. Isotonic Contractions

During

isotonic contractions force production lags EMG

Motor unit twitch (contraction) reaches peak 40 - 100 msec after motor unit activates Summation of twitch contractions summates the delay (Inman et al., 1952; Gottlieb and Agarwal (1971)

Force EMG

EMG - Force Relationship: Isometric vs. Isotonic Contractions

Working

Model: Probably a consensus of opinion that EMG and force are linear under isometric condition and non-linear under isotonic conditions (Weir et al., 1992)

EMG - Force Relationship: Concentric vs. Eccentric Contractions

EMG

amplitudes are generally less during negative (eccentric) work vs. positive (concentric) work (Komi, 1973; Komi et al., 1987)
Preloaded tension in tendons (non-contractile elements) requires less contribution from muscle (contractile elements)
Less metabolic work required

EMG ~ muscle metabolism

Rectification
Translates

the raw EMG signal to a single polarity (usually positive) Facilitates signal processing
Calculation of mean Integration Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)

Rectification - Types
Full-wave Adds

the EMG signal below the baseline (usually negative polarity) to the signal above the baseline
Conditioned signal is all positive polarity

Preferred

method

Conserves all signal energy for analysis

Rectification - Types
Full-wave Half-wave Deletes

the EMG signal below the baseline

Rectification - Types
Raw EMG

Full-wave Rectified EMG

Half-wave Rectified EMG

Delete

Rectification
Full-wave

rectification takes the absolute value of the signal (array of data points)

Rectification
To

rectify the signal turn the toggle switch to the On position

Integration
A

method of quantifying the EMG signal

Assigns the signal a numerical value Permits manipulation

Calculation

Example: Normalization

Statistical analysis A

form of linear envelope procedure

Measures the area under a curve

Integration
Area Under a Curve

Units = mV - msec

Integration - Procedure
EMG

signal is

Full-wave

rectified (Usually) lowpass filtered

5 - 8 (10) Hz
Segment

selected Integral read (mVmsec [or secs])

Normalization
Question:

Is it valid to directly compare the EMG output (e.g., integral) of a muscle across subjects? Subjects will have muscles with
different physiological cross-sections different lengths - geometry different ratios of slow- to fast-twitch fibers different recruitment patterns different firing frequencies

Answer
Probably

not!

Solution
Normalize

the measurement value against a maximal effort value Divide the sub-maximal effort value (e.g., 50%, 75%, etc.) by the maximal effort value The resultant ratio (no units) is the normalized signal making direct comparison possible

Isometric or Isotonic Effort?

Intuitively,

it seems to make sense that the normalizing maximal effort should be the same as the nature of the effort
Isometric - Isometric Isotonic/Isokinetic - Isotonic/Isokinetic

Isometric or Isotonic Effort?

Intuitively,

it seems to make sense that the normalizing maximal effort should be the same as the nature of the effort
Isometric - Isometric Isotonic/Isokinetic - Isotonic/Isokinetic

Because

the relationship between the EMG signal and isotonic/isokinetic contractions is probably not linear, most sources recommend normalizing with the isometric maximal effort value (i.e., during MVC)

Therefore...
Isometric

contraction normalized with an isometric MVC and Isotonic/isokinetic contractions normalized with an isometric MVC

Example
Integral

during MVC of VM of quadriceps = 5.76 mV - msec Integral of VM at 50% of a sub-maximal effort = 2.13 mV - msec
Ratio:

2.13 mV - msec 5.76 mV - msec

.37

Reference Sources
Bigland-Richie, B. (1981). EMG/force relations and fatigue of human volunatry contractions. In D.I. Miller (Ed.), Exercise and sport sciences reviews (Vol.9, pp.75-117), Philadelphia: Franklin Institute. Close, R.I. (1972). Dynamic properties of mammalian skeletal muscles. Physiological Review,52, 129-197.

Reference Sources
Gottlieb, G.L., & G.C. Agarwal, G.C. (1971). Dynamic relatiosnhip between isometric muscle tension and the electromyogram in man. Journal of Applied Physiology, 30, 345-351.

Inman, V.T., Ralston, J.B. Saunders, J.B., Fienstein, B, & Wright, E.W. (1952). Relation of human electromyogram to muscular tension. Medicine, Biology and Engineering, 8, 187-194.

Reference Sources
Komi, P.V. (1973). Relationship between muscle tension, EMG, and velocity of contraction under concentric and eccentric work. In J.E. Desmedt, New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology (pp. 596-606), Basel, Switzerland: Karger.

Reference Sources
Komi, P.V., Kaneko, M., & Aura, O. (1987). EMG activity of the leg extensor muscles with special reference to mechanical efficiency in concentric and eccentric exercise. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 8 (suppl), 22-29. Lippold, O.C.J. (1952). The relationship between integrated action potentials in a human muscle and its isometric tension. Journal of Physiology, 177, 492-499.

Reference Sources
Vrendenbregt, J., & Rau, G. (1973). Surface electromyography in relation to force, muscle length and endurance. In J.E. Desmedt (Ed.) New developments in electromyography and clinical neurophysiology (pp. 607-622), Basel, Switzerland: Karger.

Reference Sources
Zuniga, E.N., & Simons, D.G. (1969). Non-linear relationship between averaged electromyogram potential and muscle tension in normal subjects. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 50, 613-620.

Reference Sources
Weir, J.P., McDonough, A.L., & Hill, V. (1996). The effects of joint angle on electromyographic indices of fatigue. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 73, 387392.

Reference Sources
Weir, J.P, Wagner, L.L., & Housh, T.J. (1992). Linearity and reliability of the IEMG v. torque relationship for the forearm flexors and leg extensors. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 71, 283-287.