Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients manifest characteristic spatial EMG potential distribution pattern during sustained isometric contraction

AimThe purpose of the present study is to investigate spatial surface electromyography (SEMG) potential distribution pattern in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.MethodsNine T2DM patients and nine age-matched healthy men (CON) performed a sustained isometric knee extension at 10% of maximal voluntary contraction for 120 s. Multi-channel SEMG was recorded from the vastus lateralis muscle by means of 64 electrodes. To characterize spatial SEMG potential distribution pattern, modified entropy and correlation coefficients between same electrode locations were calculated at 15, 60 and 120 s for the root mean square values.ResultsAt 60 and 120 s, modified entropy in T2DM was significantly lower than those in CON (p < 0.05). Correlation coefficients for T2DM were significantly higher than those for CON at 60 and 120 s (p < 0.05).ConclusionFrom these results, we suggested that T2DM patients continue to recruit limited and same motor units during the sustained contraction at low force level.