Rae, Dale E.Noakes, Timothy D.San Juan, Alejandro F.Pérez Ruiz, MargaritaNogales-Gadea, GiselaRuiz, Jonatan R.Morán, MaríaMartín, Miguel ÁngelAndreu, Antoni L.Arenas, JoaquínLucía Mulas, Alejandro2013-11-272013-11-272010Rae, D. E., Noakes, T. D., San-Juan, A. F., Pérez-Ruiz, M., Nogales-Gadea, G., Ruiz, J. R., ..., & Lucía-Mulas, A. (2010). Excessive skeletal muscle recruitment during strenuous exercise in McArdle patients. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 110(5), 1047-1055.14396327http://hdl.handle.net/11268/1096We compared the cardiorespiratory response and muscle recruitment [as determined by electromyography (EMG)] of 37 McArdle patients [19 males, 37.4 ± 2.8 years, body mass index (BMI): 25.1 ± 4.7 kg m(-2)] and 33 healthy controls (18 males, 36.4 ± 10.0 years, BMI: 25.7 ± 3.8 kg m(-2)) during cycle-ergometer exercise (an incremental test to exhaustion and a 12-min submaximal constant workload test). We obtained cardiorespiratory [oxygen uptake and heart rate (HR)] and EMG data (rectus femoris and vastus lateralis muscles). During the incremental test, the patients exhibited the expected hyperkinetic cardiovascular response shown by a marked increase in the slope of the HR:Power relationship (p < 0.001). Throughout the incremental test and at the point of fatigue, the patients produced significantly less power than the controls (peak power output: 67 ± 21 vs. 214 ± 56 watts respectively, p < 0.001), yet they demonstrated significantly higher levels of muscle activity for a given absolute power. During the constant workload test, patients displayed higher levels of EMG activity than the controls during the second half of the test, despite a lower power production (34 ± 13 vs. 94 ± 29 watts respectively, p < 0.001). In conclusion, since the McArdle patients required more motor unit recruitment for a given power output, our data suggest that the state of contractility of their muscles is reduced compared with healthy people. Excessive muscle recruitment for a given load could be one of the mechanisms explaining the exercise intolerance of these patients.engjournal article10.1007/s00421-010-1585-5restricted accessEnfermedad nutricionalDeporteTratamiento médico