To fatigue a muscle using NMES, which technique is commonly used?

To fatigue a muscle using NMES, which technique is commonly used?

• A. 1:1 duty cycle
• B. Increase intensity
• C. Increase time
• D. 2:1 duty cycle

Answer: (A)

NMES fatigue is driven by how long the muscle is stimulated relative to rest in each cycle. Using equal durations of stimulation and rest means the muscle experiences frequent contractions with only short recovery periods, so metabolic byproducts build up and fatigue sets in more quickly. This pattern is commonly used to fatigue a muscle because it delivers repeated, manageable bursts of effort without pushing intensity to uncomfortable levels or requiring long, continuous contractions. In contrast, increasing the intensity raises discomfort and risk, and simply lengthening the contraction time or using a pattern with extended on-time tends to be less tolerable or harder to control, making it less practical for reliably inducing fatigue in a typical session.

NMES fatigue is driven by how long the muscle is stimulated relative to rest in each cycle. Using equal durations of stimulation and rest means the muscle experiences frequent contractions with only short recovery periods, so metabolic byproducts build up and fatigue sets in more quickly. This pattern is commonly used to fatigue a muscle because it delivers repeated, manageable bursts of effort without pushing intensity to uncomfortable levels or requiring long, continuous contractions. In contrast, increasing the intensity raises discomfort and risk, and simply lengthening the contraction time or using a pattern with extended on-time tends to be less tolerable or harder to control, making it less practical for reliably inducing fatigue in a typical session.