Citation

Luttmann A, Jager M, Laurig W. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 2000; 25(6): 645-660.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Surface electromyography offers a valuable tool for the indication of muscular fatigue in occupational field studies. For this purpose, the time course of the electromyogram (EMG) has to be analysed, in order to detect typical fatigue-induced changes such as an increase in EMG amplitude or a shift in the spectral distribution towards lower frequencies. Such procedures need a detailed knowledge about the actual activity of the person and muscle under test for the total working time. This can be attained by encoding the activity of the person during the work and recording an electrical code signal together with the electrophysiological signals. For the indication of muscle fatigue, EMGs for situations connected with similar muscle load should only be compared, since the EMG amplitude as well as the spectrum do not only depend upon the fatigue state, but also upon the produced muscle force. This demand can be fulfilled by (i) interrupting the work and performing test contractions of known force in a predefined body posture or (ii) by comparing situations connected with a certain reference activity. (iii) In a recently developed approach for the joint analysis of EMG amplitude and spectrum (JASA) changes in the amplitude and the spectrum are considered simultaneously. This method permits the discrimination between fatigue-induced and force-related EMG changes. Using this procedure, changes in the EMG can be attributed to categories like fatigue or recovery as well as increase or decrease in the force production of the muscle under test. Applications from field studies during manual materials handling in a weaving mill, price recording at scanner checkouts in a supermarket and the performance of surgical work using endoscopic operation techniques in urology demonstrate the appropriateness of electromyography for fatigue indication in occupational physiology and ergonomics. Nevertheless, the commonly used measures of muscular fatigue such as increase in EMG amplitude and left shift in EMG spectrum are primarily related to the electrical activation and its propagation along the muscle fibres. Their connection to the fatigue-induced reduction in the force generating capacity of the muscle under test includes complex physiological implications. Therefore, the need for further development of fatigue indicators which are more directly related to muscular force is recognized.Relevance to industryIn occupational health and ergonomics indication of muscular fatigue is needed, since activities inducing muscular fatigue can be performed for a limited time, only, and the quality of work can be influenced negatively. Electromyography offers valuable tools for the indication of fatigue and the appropriate assessment of ergonomic design measures.