Can vision compensate for a lower limbs muscular fatigue for controlling posture in humans?

N. Vuillerme (1) , V. Nougier (1) , J. M. Prieur (2)

1 EA 597 - Laboratoire Sport et Performance Motrice
2 ISM - Institut des Sciences du Mouvement Etienne Jules Marey

The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of vision on postural control following a lower limbs muscular fatigue. Ten adult males were asked to maintain a single leg upright posture as immobile as possible in two conditions of no-fatigue and fatigue of the calf muscles. This muscles fatigue was achieved by standing on the toes until exhaustion. Within a trial, vision was suppressed or reinserted by eyes closure or opening. Center of foot pressure displacements were recorded using a force platform. Results showed that the availability of vision allowed the subjects to immediately cope with the destabilizing effect induced by muscular fatigue.

Domaines: Sciences cognitives

N. Vuillerme, V. Nougier, J. M. Prieur. Can vision compensate for a lower limbs muscular fatigue for controlling posture in humans?. Neuroscience Letters, 2001, 308 (2), pp.103-6. ⟨hal-00193907⟩