{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02916346891788181, 'fraction_numerical': 0.02532617037605526, 'mean_word_length': 5.392156862745098, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Neuromuscular control of the tongue during exercise

The genioglossus (GG) is considered the principal protruder muscle of the tongue that dilates and stiffens the pharyngeal airway. We recorded whole muscle and single motor unit (MU) activities in healthy adults performing progressive intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer. Tungsten microelectrodes were inserted percutaneously into the GG of 11 subjects (20–40yrs) to record EMG activities and pulmonary ventilation (VI) at rest and at workloads between 25–300 watts. Despite significant increases in VI, exercise did not evoke any change in average GG MU firing rate (17.4+/−4.7 Hz). However, of 53 recorded tonically active MUs, 5 switched to phasic discharge and 25 showed increased respiratory modulation at the highest workloads, with MU recruitment also observed. Consistent with this, whole muscle GG EMG was significantly greater at the higher workloads. Thus, we attribute the exercise‐induced respiratory increase in GG EMG activities to the recruitment of previously inactive MUs and to alterations in the discharge patterns of tonically active MUs. These findings are in accord with results obtained in steady‐state hypercapnia and with modest increases in airway resistance (Richardson & Bailey 2010). Funded by NIH Grant K23DC‐007597.