Introduction: Tensiomyography is a simple to use, selective and non-invasive method for detecting skeletal muscle contractile parameters with high reliability. It is still not known to what extent we can measure changes in contractile muscle properties after postactivation potentiation and fatigue with tensiomyography. Purpose: The purpose was to compare the effect of postactivation potentiation and fatigue on tensiomyographic contractile properties of the thigh muscles between power and endurance athletes. Methods: There were 21 healthy professional or serious recreational athletes included in our study. After standardized warm-up we measured subjects rest values with tensiomyography for vastus medialis and semitendinosus muscle. After that we used isokinetic dynamometer to perform postactivation potentiation and fatigue protocol and then measured muscle contractile properties again, for both muscles. We compared differences with rest values and values after both protocols, we also compared the difference between endurance and power athletes. Results: At endurance athletes effect of postactivation potentiation and fatigue did not change muscle contractile properties significantly. Power athletes responded better to both protocols, especially their muscle vastus medialis, for which we found that power athletes had significantly shorter contraction time after postactivation potentiation (p < 0.001) and lower maximal displacement after fatigue (p = 0.001). When comparing both groups we did not find significant differences in contraction time. But maximal displacement was significantly lower for power athletes after fatigue (p = 0.024). Discussion and conclusion: Power athletes better responded to both protocols, especially their muscle vastus medialis. We used isokinetic dynamometry successfully for controlling postactivation potentiation and fatigue and for objective comparison between groups. In case tensiomyography will prove to be a valid and sensitive tool for assessing postactivation potentiation and fatigue effect on muscle contractile properties it would be an important contribution for creating exercise plan, prevention of injuries, assessing effectiveness of rehabilitation and furher scientific research. Additional studies of tensiomyography biometric properties are needed in the future.
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