Increase in rate of force development with skin cooling during isometric knee extension

Rate of force development (RFD) plays an important role when performing rapid and forceful movements. Cold-induced afferent input with transient skin cooling (SC) can modulate neural drive. However, the relationship between RFD and SC is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether SC increases RFD during isometric knee extension. Fifteen young healthy men (25 ± 8 yrs old) contracted their quadriceps muscle as fast and forcefully as possible with or without SC. Skin cooling was administered to the front of the thigh. Torque and electromyographic activity were measured simultaneously. Peak torque was not affected by SC. Skin cooling induced a significant increase in RFD at the phase 0–30 and 0–50 ms. The root mean square of the electromyography of vastus medialis, rectus femoris and vastus lateralis at the phases 0–30–50–100 ms increased significantly or tended to increase with SC. These results suggest that SC may increase neural drive and improve RFD in the very early phases of contraction.