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.
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