Towards a Rest Allocation Scheme for Sequential Static Muscle Exertions

Abstract

Static muscle contractions when prolonged or frequently repeated result in discomfort, tremor, and coordination problems. Surface electrode EMG measurements have been used to establish a method for objectively assessing the functional state of a muscle during both sustained and frequently repeated static contractions.

This paper presents the development of a Markov model of motor unit behavior during such muscle contractions. Validation studies are described using surface electrode EMG's as the primary response measure. The results indicate a simple stochastic model is reasonable to describe motor unit behavior in sequential static exertions. The output of the resulting model is used to predict rest allowances for such exertions.