NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEM DURING EXERCISE

 The neuromuscular system involves our nervous system and muscles working

together to control, direct and allow movement of the body. 

NEUROMUSCULAR ADAPTATIONS TO EXERCISE

 Some of the most significant and undervalued adaptations to exercise occur in the
neuromuscular system. Learn what types of training produce the most significant
adaptations here.

Physiological adaptations to high-intensity short-duration training types

 High-intensity strength, power, speed, and hypertrophy training tend to cause the
greatest adaptations in the neuromuscular system because they require the greatest
integration and coordination of musculature to perform specific tasks under high
loads or in an explosive fashion. 
Physiological adaptations to high-
intensity short-duration training types

Fiber size Muscle size increases with hypertrophy

training and to a lesser degree strength
training.  This is due to an increase in the
number and thickness of actin and myosin
filaments, an increase in myofibrils, and
an increase in sarcoplasm (fluid within the
muscle cell).

Fast-twitch fiber behavior Strength, hypertrophy, power, and speed

training modalities all focus on
contractions from fast-twitch fibers, thus
these training types improve the specific
fast-twitch function being trained, whether
that is strength, speed, power, size, or a
combination.

Timing of neural stimulus The timing of contractions becomes more

coordinated, especially with power, speed,
and strength training, in order to meet the
force generation required to move loads.

Nerve–muscle connections • Increased recruitment of additional

motor units, which respond in a
simultaneous fashion to improve
 force production.
• There is increased activation of
synergistic muscles to assist force
production for strength, power,
speed, and hypertrophy.
• Neural pathways linking to target
muscles become more efficient at
transmitting the message
(stimulus).

Summation of motor units The ability to summate (fire a lot of

impulses in target muscles all at once) is
improved with strength and power training
because they require maximum activation
of target muscles to create maximum
force.

Neuromuscular fatigue Effective integration of multiple body

segments to create explosive movements
or lift heavy loads requires more
neuromuscular involvement than any other
training; hence strength, power, speed, and
hypertrophy training are the best types of
training to improve the resistance of the
neuromuscular system to fatigue.

Physiological adaptation to longer duration training types

The muscular system also adapts to training types that rely on the aerobic energy system
as well as the anaerobic systems, such as muscular endurance and aerobic and anaerobic fitness. 
Physiological adaptation to longer duration
training types

Capillarization The number of capillaries in the muscle

increase. This enables more O2 to be delivered
to working muscles and more CO2 to be
absorbed back into the blood thus improving
endurance performance.

Substrate storage Muscles and the liver increase their ability

to store carbohydrates and fat so they can be
used for ATP production more readily.
 Slow-twitch fiber behavior As the duration of training lengthens slow-
twitch (endurance) fibers become increasingly
dominant.  Aerobic fitness, anaerobic fitness,
and muscular endurance training all improve
the function of slow-twitch fibres.

Mitochondria Mitochondria as you may remember from the

energy system section are the aerobic
powerhouse of the muscle cell.  The number
of mitochondria increases with aerobic
exercise enabling more aerobic metabolism to
take place.  This means the muscle can create
more ATP aerobically and results in less
lactate being produced during workouts below
the anaerobic/lactate threshold.

Neuromuscular Fatigue
- Fatigue may represent a disruption in the normal function of one of these components:
Central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
Peripheral nervous system (nerve itself)
Neuromuscular junction
Muscle fiber
Central Nervous System Fatigue
l   Influenced by peripheral fatigue factors such as lactic acid accumulation in muscle.
NBNK

 Influenced by ion disturbances in the blood

in these cases, the brain and spinal cord send inhibitory signals back to the
origins of fatigue
NERVE FATIGUE
- Not likely that the nerve fatigues are possible since it requires nutrients to survive.  If lacking
nutrients, it could slow in its function.

NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION FATIGUE

- It is possible that levels of acetylcholine could be depleted resulting in fatigue.
MUSCLE FIBER FATIGUE
 A muscle fiber is the most likely the site of fatigue due to:
 Accumulation of lactic acid
 -   Prevents binding of calcium to troponin
- Makes it difficult for myosin to bind to actin fiber
 Depletion of muscle glycogen
 Lack of O2 getting to the muscle
- Insufficient blood flow

LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF EXERCISE ON THE NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEM

1. INCREASED MUSCULAR ENDURANCE
2. INCREASED MUSCULAR STRENGTH
3. INCREASED MUSCLE SIZE (Hypertrophy)
4. INCREASED ENERGY STORES
5. INCREASED METABOLIC RATE
6. IMPROVED POSTURE
7. INCREASED NEUROMUSCULAR CONNECTIONS

Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice
1. These are the physiological adaptations to longer training duration types except:
a. Mitochondria
b. Capilllarization
c. Substrate Storage
d. Neuromuscular Fatigue
ANSWER: D

2. This is a type of fiber that can provide its own energy and is used for a long duration.
a. Fast twitch fiber
b. Slow-twitch fiber
c. Motor Fiber
d. Twitch Fiber
ANSWER: B
3. Some of the most significant and undervalued adaptations to exercise occur in the
______?
a. Circulatory System
b. Nervous System
c. Neuromuscular System
d. Respiratory System
ANSWER: C
4. It is also called as “Powerhouse of the cell”
a. Oxygen
b. Neurons
c. Mitochondria
d. Capillaries
ANSWER: C
5. Which sentence below is true about mitochondria?
a. It provides oxygen in our body.
b. It is responsible for creating energy.
c. It is the primary substrate for energy metabolism.
d. It delivers oxygen to working muscles.
ANSWER: B
6. These are the primary substrate for energy metabolism.
a. Carbohydrates and Mitochondria
b. Fats and Fiber
c. Carbohydrates and Fats
 d. Capillaries and Fats
ANSWER: C
7. These are the example of an exercise that helps to increase muscular endurance except:
a. Biking
b. Yoga
c. Jumping
d. Running
ANSWER: B
8. An increase in our contractile protein actin and myosin increases the overall size of the
muscle.
a. Increase Muscle Strength
b. Increase Metabolic Rate
c. Increase Muscle Size
d. None of the above
ANSWER: C
9. What is the best definition of coordination in physical fitness?
I. It helps you to be strong.
II. It is the ability to execute smooth, accurate, controlled motor responses.
III. It is the ability to select the right muscle at the right time.
IV. It helps you to boost your confidence.

a. I and II
b. II and III
c. I and III
d. I,II,III and IV
ANSWER: B
10. A relationship between nerve and muscle.
a. Nervous System
b. Muscular System
c. Neuromuscular System
d. Respiratory System
ANSWER: C
11. This is due to an increase in the number and thickness of actin and myosin filaments, an
increase in myofibrils, and an increase in the sarcoplasm.
a. Nerve Fatigue
b. Fiber Size
c. Neural Stimulus
d. Nerve Muscle connection
 ANSWER: B
12. It tends to cause the greatest adaptation in the neuromuscular system___.
a. Physiological adaptation to high-intensity to high-duration
b. Physiological adaptation to high- intensity to short- duration
c. Physiological adaptation to short-intensity to high-duration
d. Physiological adaptation to short intensity to short duration
ANSWER: B
13. Muscle size increases with hypertrophy training and to a lesser degree strength training.
a. Fiber Size Behavior
b. Fiber Size
c. Fiber Muscular
d. Fiber Fatigue
ANSWER: B
14. _______could show the function of the nerves resulting in nerve fatigue.
a. Lacking nutrients
b. Lacking muscle fiber
c. Both A and B
d. None of the above
ANSWER: A
15. In neuromuscular junction fatigue, it is possible that levels of _____ could be depleted
resulting fatigue.
a. Nerves
b. Oxygen
c. Muscle
d. Acetylcholine
ANSWER: D
16. Fast twitch function includes:
a. Nerves
b. Muscle and Nerves
c. Strength and Speed
d. Strength and Agility
ANSWER: C
17. Which ability requires to improve the resistance to neuromuscular fatigue?
a. Speed
b. Nerves
c. Muscle
d. Strength
 ANSWER: D
18. Muscle fiber is the most likely the site of fatigue due:
a. Accumulation of lactic acid
b. Depletion of muscle glycogen
c. Lack of oxygen getting to the muscle
d. All of the Above
ANSWER: D
19. The following are the components of neuromuscular fatigue except _____.
a. Muscle Fiber
b. Peripheral nervous system
c. Neuromuscular Junction
d. Cell circulation of the body
ANSWER: A
20. Which is true about nerve muscle connection?
a. Increase activation of synergetic muscles
b. Improve recruitment of additional motor
c. A only.
d. A and B
ANSWER: B