Vertical finger displacement is reduced in index finger tapping during repeated bout rate enhancement

The present study tested 1) whether a recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement in finger tapping (i.e. a cumulating increase in freely chosen finger tapping frequency following submaximal muscle activation in form of externally unloaded voluntary tapping) could be replicated, and 2) the hypotheses that the faster tapping was accompanied by changed vertical displacement of the fingertip and by changed peak force during tapping. Right-handed, healthy, and recreationally active individuals (n=24) performed two 3-min index finger tapping bouts at freely chosen tapping frequency, separated by 10 min rest. The recently reported phenomenon of repeated bout rate enhancement was replicated. The faster tapping (8.8±18.7 taps min-1, corresponding to 6.0±11.0%, p=.033) was accompanied by reduced vertical displacement (1.6±2.9 mm, corresponding to 6.3±14.9%, p=.012) of the fingertip. Concurrently, peak force was unchanged. The present study points at separate control mechanisms governing kinematics and kinetics during finger tapping.