The fatigability of the anterior tibial muscle in 11 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was compared to that of controls at the California Pacific Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco. The force generation of dystrophic muscle and compound muscle action potential amplitude were lower and relaxation time of tetanus was longer in patients than in controls at rest. During exercise, maximum voluntary contraction was better sustained, suggesting less central fatigue in DMD patients than in controls. [1]
COMMENT. The intramuscular fatigability and recovery following sustained maximum voluntary contraction was similar in dystrophic muscles and controls, but patients with DMD had less central fatigue, possibly explained by longer training sessions and greater familiarity with the exercise.