Isometric endurance of the human masseter muscle during consecutive bouts of tooth clenching

Three human subjects performed teeth clenching at maximum voluntary contraction strength (MVC) of the mandibular elevator muscles. At intervals of 10 s, ten successive bouts of MVC clenching were exercised until total exhaustion of the contracting muscles (isometric endurance). Isometric endurance time decreased exponentially from 59 to 12 s. The curve of the decrease showed a monotone power function (y=x⁻¹). Electromyographic recordings from masseter muscles suggested that fatigable motor units, possibly fast glycolytic units, dropped out during the initial stages of maintained MVC isometric activity. The silent period of the monosynaptic jaw jerk reflex was increased by about 35% following exhaustion of the masseter muscle.