Directional Asymmetry of Crossover Neuromuscular Fatigue Following Unilateral Handgrip Exercise in Adults and Prepubertal Children

Background/Objectives: This study investigated whether crossover neuromuscular fatigue following unilateral handgrip exercise exhibits directional asymmetry, testing whether dominant-limb fatigue produces greater contralateral performance decrements than non-dominant-limb fatigue in adults and pre-peak-height-velocity children. Methods: Thirty-three healthy, right-handed males (16 adults: 22.5 ± 1.6 years; 17 pre-peak-height-velocity boys: 11.2 ± 0.8 years, maturity offset −2.2 ± 0.4 years) completed three counterbalanced experimental sessions (48-72 hours apart): dominant-arm fatigue, non-dominant-arm fatigue, and control. The fatigue protocol consisted of 20 consecutive 6-second maximal voluntary isometric handgrip contractions. Primary outcomes were percentage changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the contralateral limb across handgrip, elbow flexor, and elbow extensor muscle groups. Results: Experimental condition explained approximately 64% of crossover variance in adults (ηₚ² = 0.650, ηG² = 0.421) and children (ηₚ² = 0.638, ηG² = 0.448; both p < 0.001). Dominant-limb fatigue elicited substantially greater contralateral decrements than non-dominant-limb fatigue in adults (−11.00% vs. −3.92%, dz = −1.07) and children (−12.71% vs. −3.08%, dz = −1.33), representing 2.5-3.5-fold greater transfer efficiency (both p < 0.001). Age-group comparisons revealed no differences in crossover susceptibility (p = 0.627, ηₚ² = 0.008), with equivalence testing confirming developmental invariance. Crossover effects extended to heterologous proximal muscles without magnitude differences (p > 0.13). Conclusion: Crossover fatigue (contralateral performance decrement following unilateral exercise) exhibited directional asymmetry, with dominant-limb protocols eliciting 2.5-3.5-fold greater contralateral decrements. This pattern aligns with asymmetric transcallosal inhibitory projections demonstrated in prior transcranial magnetic stimulation studies, though direct neurophysiological confirmation was not obtained. Functional equivalence between pre-peak-height-velocity children and adults indicates interhemispheric transfer mechanisms achieve operational maturity before peak height velocity. Extension to heterologous muscles implicates supraspinal mechanisms. Findings establish normative parameters for clinical populations with compromised transcallosal integrity.