[Continuous measurement of muscular stimulation conduction velocity using surface electrodes--methodical prerequisites and results].

During long-lasting static muscular work fatigue is accompanied by a shift of the mean power frequency (MPF) of EMG power density spectra to lower frequencies. It is mostly accepted that changes in MPF with the onset of fatigue are mainly related to a decrease in muscle fibre conduction velocity (CV) caused by changes of the electrical properties of the fibre membrane. A method was developed for the continuous measurement of CV from surface electromyograms (EMG). The CV is estimated from the time delay between EMG signals recorded by a multielectrode configuration placed over the muscle between tendon and endplate region. Further processing and artifact rejection was realized in a hardware solution. Results obtained by this methods from investigations of muscle fatigue and temperature related changes in MPF and CV are presented.