Principles of Motor Unit Physiology Evolve With Advances in Technology.

Movements are generated by the coordinated activation of motor units. Recent technological advances have made it possible to identify the concurrent activity of several tens of motor units, in contrast with much smaller samples available in classic studies. We discuss how these advances in technology have enabled the development of a population perspective of how the central nervous system controls motor unit activity and thereby the forces exerted by muscles. ©2016 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am. Physiol. Soc.