Spatial difference can occur between activated and damaged muscle areas following electrically‐induced isometric contractions

Key points T 2 mapping combined to image registration and statistical parametric mapping analysis is a suitable methodology to accurately localize and compare the extent of both activated and damaged muscle areas. Activated muscle areas following electrically‐induced isometric contractions are superficial, but damaged regions are muscle specific and can be related to the muscle morphology and/or the relative spatial position within a muscle group leading to potential intramuscular muscle shear strain. Tissues other than active skeletal muscle fibres can be altered during unaccustomed neuromuscular electrical stimulation‐induced isometric contractions. Abstract Skeletal muscle isometric contractions induced by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) exercise can generate damage within activated muscles. This study aimed at comparing the localization and the extent of NMES‐activated muscle areas and induced damage regions using magnetic resonance imaging. Thirteen healthy subjects performed a single bout of NMES‐induced isometric contractions known to induce a decrease in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) and increase in muscle volume and transverse relaxation time (T 2 ). All the parameters were measured before, immediately after (POST), 7 days (D7), 14 days (D14) and 21 days (D21) after the NMES session. Spatial normalization of T 2 maps were performed to compare the localization of muscle activation areas and damaged muscle regions from statistical mapping analyses. A significant decrease in MVC was found at POST (−26 ± 9%) and in delayed time at D7 (−20 ± 6%) and D14 (−12 ± 5%). Although muscle activation was statistically detected through T 2 increase at POST in superficial parts of the two muscles located beneath the stimulation electrodes (i.e. vastus lateralis and vastus medialis), alterations quantified in a delayed time from increased T 2 were mainly located in the deep muscle region of the vastus lateralis (+57 ± 24% of mean T 2 ) and superficial area of the vastus medialis (+24 ± 16% of mean T 2 ) at D7 and were still observed in whole muscle at D21. The discrepancy between activated and damaged areas in the vastus lateralis implies that tissues other than active skeletal muscle fibres were altered during unaccustomed NMES‐induced isomeric contractions.