Energy metabolism and muscle activation heterogeneity explain V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ slow component and muscle fatigue of cycling at different intensities.

NEW FINDINGS:What is the central question of this study? What are the physiological mechanisms underlying muscle fatigue and the increase in the O2 cost per unit of work during high-intensity exercise? What is the main finding and its importance? Muscle fatigue happens before, and does not explain, the V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ slow component ( V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ ), but they share the same origin. Muscle activation heterogeneity is associated with muscle fatigue and V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ . Knowing this may improve training prescriptions for healthy people leading to improved public health outcomes. ABSTRACT:This study aimed to explain the V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ slow component ( V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ ) and muscle fatigue during cycling at different intensities. The muscle fatigue of 16 participants was determined through maximal isokinetic effort lasting 3 s during constant work rate bouts of moderate (MOD), heavy (HVY) and very heavy intensity (VHI) exercise. Breath-by-breath V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ , near-infrared spectroscopy signals and EMG activity were analysed (thigh muscles). V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ was higher during VHI exercise (∼70% vs. ∼28% of V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ reserve in HVY). The deoxygenated haemoglobin final value during VHI exercise was higher than during HVY and MOD exercise (∼90% of HHb physiological normalization, vs. ∼82% HVY and ∼45% MOD). The muscle fatigue was greater after VHI exercise (∼22% vs. HVY ∼5%). There was no muscle fatigue after MOD exercise. The greatest magnitude of muscle fatigue occurred within 2 min (VHI ∼17%; HVY ∼9%), after which it stabilized. No significant relationship between V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ and muscle force production was observed. The τ of muscle V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ was significantly related (R2  = 0.47) with torque decrease for VHI. Type I and II muscle fibre recruitment mainly in the rectus femoris moderately explained the muscle fatigue (R2  = 0.30 and 0.31, respectively) and the V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ (R2  = 0.39 and 0.27, respectively). The V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ is also partially explained by blood lactate accumulation (R2  = 0.42). In conclusion muscle fatigue and O2 cost seem to share the same physiological cause linked with a decrease in the muscle V ̇ O 2 ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}}$ and a change in lactate accumulation. Muscle fatigue and V ̇ O 2 sc ${\dot{V}}_{{{\rm{O}}}_{\rm{2}}{\rm{sc}}}$ are associated with muscle activation heterogeneity and metabolism of different muscles activated during cycling.