THE EFFECT OF LEG PREFERENCE ON MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY DURING SINGLE-LEG EXTENSION EXERCISE

To investigate how leg preference affects net efficiency (gnet), we examined central and peripheral hemodynamics, muscle fiber type, activation and force of preferred (PL) and nonpreferred (NPL) leg. Our hypothesis was that PL greater efficiency could be explained by adaptations and interactions between central, peripheral factors, and force. Fifteen young participants performed single-leg extension exercise at absolute (35 W) and relative [50% peak power-output (Wpeak)] workloads with PL and NPL. Oxygen uptake, photoplethysmography, Doppler ultrasound, near-infrared-spectroscopy deoxyhemoglobin [HHb], integrated electromyography (iEMG), maximal isometric force (MVC), rate of force development (RFD50–100), and muscle biopsies of both vastus lateralis were studied to assess central and peripheral determinants of gnet. During exercise executed at 35 W, gnet was 17.5 ± 5.1% and 11.9 ± 2.1% (P < 0.01) in PL and NPL respectively, whereas during exercise at the 50% of Wpeak was in PL = 18.1 ...