Assessment of the level of muscular strength and volume in physically active English adults

Marta Leyton Román, Vicente Luis Del Campo, Jesús Morenas Martín, Alba Roldán Romero

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the muscular volume and strength of different body segments from a sample of 19 English male participants, with a mean age of 43.84 (±11.62). An isometric dynamometer (Standard type S) has been used for the strength measurements, as well as an isokinetic device (Cibex Norm, Ronkonkama, New York, U.S.A.) and a M.R.I scanner (Esaote G-Scan biomedical, Milan, Italy) for measuring the muscular volume. The Baecke Questionnaire (1982) helped to determine the participants habitual level of physical activity. The results reveal an inverse relationship between age and isometric strength of the biceps muscle (r=-0.518; p<0.05). In addition, there exists a correlation between the handgrip of the right hand and the left hand (r=0.788; p<0.001); torque of the knee extensor muscles and the ankle extensor muscles (r=0.712; p<0.01); time of torque of the knee flexor and extensor muscles (r=0.773; p<0.001) volume of the biceps and triceps muscles (r=0.849; p<0.001), as well as several correlations between the different volumes of the quadriceps muscles. As a conclusion, age has a negative influence on the production of isometric strength of the biceps muscle, but not of the knee extensor muscles. As expected, the antagonistic muscle groups actuating around the knee, i.e. the extensor and flexor groups seem to be adapted to each other in terms of volume, strength and rate of force development.

Keywords

Age; Physical activity; Isometric strength; Muscle volume

References

Akagi, R., Takai, Y., Ohta, M., Hiroaki, H., Kawakami, Y., Fukunaga, T. Muscle volume compared to cross-sectional area is more appropriate for evaluating muscle strength in young and elderly individuals. Age and Ageing. 2009; 38(5):564-569. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afp122

Andrade, E., Matsudo, S., Matsudo, V., Araujo, T. Body mass index and neuromotor performance in elderly women. In: Proceedings International Pre-Olympic Congress, Physical activity sport and health: Dallas. 1996.

Asakawa, D.S., Blemker, S.S., Gold, G.E., Delp, S.L. In vivo motion of the rectus femoris muscle after tendon transfer surgery. Journal of Biomechanics. 2002; 35 (8):1029-1037. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9290(02)00048-9

Baecke, J.A.H., Burema, J., Fritters, J.E.R. A short questionnaire tor the measurement of habitual physical activity epidemiological studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1982; 36:932-942.

Balagopal, P., Rooyackers, O., Adey, D., Ades, P., Nair, K. Effects of aging on in vivo synthesis of skeletal muscle myosin heavy-chain and sarcoplasmic protein in humans. American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism. 1997; 273(4):790-800. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.1997.273.4.E790

Baldini, M., Bernal, P.A., Jiménez, R., Garatachea, N. Valoración de la condición física funcional en ancianos. Revista Digital EFDeportes. 2006; 103.

Candow, D., Chilibeck, P. Differences in size, strength, and power of upper and lower body muscle groups in young and older men. Journal of Gerontology: biological sciences. 2005; 60A(2):148-156. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/60.2.148

Davies, C., Dooley, P., Mcdonagh, M., White, M. Adaptation to mechanical properties of muscle to high force training in man. Journal of Physiology. 1985; 365:277-284. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1985.sp015771

De Vita, P., Hortobagyi, T. Age causes a redistribution of joint torques and powers during gait. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2000; 88:1804-1811. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2000.88.5.1804

Enoka, R., Fuglevand, A., Barreto, P. Age does not impair the voluntary ability to maximal activate muscle. In: Draganich L, Wells R, Bechtold J. (Eds.). The proceedings of the second North American congress in biomechanics. Chicago, IL. 1992; 63-64.

Evans, W., Campbell, W. Sarcopenia and age-related changes in body composition and functional capacity. Journal of Nutrition. 1993; 123:465-468.

Ferreti, G., Gussoni, M., Di Prampero, P., Cerretelli, P. Effects of exercise on maximal instantaneous muscular power of humans. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1987; 62:2288-2294. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1987.62.6.2288

Ferreti, G., Narici, M., Binzoni, T., Gariod, L., Lebas, J., Reutenauer, H., Cerretelli, P. Determinants of peak muscle power: effects of age and physical conditioning. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 1994; 68:111-115. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00244022

Fransen, M., Crosbie, J., Edmonds, J. Isometric muscle force measurement for clinicians treating patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2003; 49(1):29-35. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.10923

Frontera, W. R., Hughes, V. A., Lutz, K. J., & Evans, W. J. (1991). A cross-sectional study of muscle strength and mass in 45- to 78-yr-old men and women. Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 71(2), 644–650. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1991.71.2.644

Fukunaga, T., Miyatani, M., Tachi, M., Kouzaki, M., Kawakami, Y., Kanehisa, H. Muscle volume is a major determinant of joint torque in humans. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 2001; 172(4):249-255. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-201x.2001.00867.x

García, D., Bresciani, G., Cabeza De Vaca, S., Garatachea, N., Paz, J. La coactivación del biceps femoral limita la fuerza máxima isométrica de extensión de rodilla en ciclistas de ruta. Apunts. Medicina de l`Esport. 2006; 41(152):139-144.

Goodpaster, B., Park, S., Harris, T., Kritchevsky, S., Nevitt, M., Schwartz, A., Simonsick, E., Tylavsky, F., Visser, M., Newman, A. The loss of skeletal muscle strength, mass, and quality in older adults: the health, aging and body composition study. Journal of Gerontology Biological Science and Medical Science. 2006; 61(10):1059-1064. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/61.10.1059

Guirao, J., Cabrero, J., Moreno, J., Muñoz, P. Revisión estructurada de los cuestionarios y escalas que miden la actividad física en los adultos mayores y ancianos. Gaceta Sanitaria. 2009; 23(4):51-67.

Häkkinen, K., Häkkinen, A. Muscle cross-sectional area, force production and relaxation characteristics in women at different ages. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 1991; 62(6):410-414. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00626612

Häkkinen, K., Häkkinen, A. Neuromuscular adaptations during intensive strength training in middle-aged and elderly males and females. Clinical Neurophysiology. 1995; 35(3):137-147.

Hakkinen, K., Pastienen, U., Karsikas, R., Linnamo, V. Neuromuscular performance in voluntary bilateral and unilateral contractions and during electrical stimulation in men at different ages. European Journal of Appied Physiology. 1995; 70:518-527. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634381

Harridge, S., Kryger, A., & Stensgaard, A. Knee extensor strength, activation, and size in very elderly people following strength training. Muscle & Nerve. 1999; 22:831-839. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4598(199907)22:7<831::AID-MUS4>3.0.CO;2-3

Holzbaur, K.R., Delp, S.L., Gold, G.E., Murray, W.M. Moment-generating capacity of upper limb muscles in healthy adults. Journal of Biomechanics. 2007; 40:2442-2449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2006.11.013

Hugues, S., Schiaffino, S. Control of muscle fibre size: a crucial factor in ageing. Acta Physiological Scandinavica. 1999; 167:307-312. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-201x.1999.00619.x

Izquierdo, M. Entrenamiento de la fuerza en personas mayores ¿cómo hay que entrenar la fuerza en los mayores? G-SE Premium. 12/09/2007. g-se.com/a/800/.

Janssen, I., Heymsfield, S., Wang, Z., Ross, R. Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18-88 yr. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2000; 89(1):81-88. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2000.89.1.81

Jeffrey, E., Conwit, R., Tobin, J., Fozard, J. Age-associated loss of power and strength in the upper extremities in women and men. Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences. 1997; 52(5):267-276.

Kanehisa, H., Ikegawa, S., Fukunaga, T. Comparison of muscle cross-sectional area and strength between untrained women and men. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology. 1994; 68(2):148-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00244028

Klein, C., Rice, C., Marsh, G. Normalized force, activation, and coactivation in the arm muscles of young and old men. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2001; 91(3):1341-1349. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.3.1341

Larsson, L., Li, X., Frontera, W. Effects of aging on shortening velocity and myosin isoform composition in single human skeletal muscle cells. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology. 1997; 272:638-649. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.1997.272.2.C638

Lexell, J., Taylor, C., Sjostrom, M. What is the cause of the ageing atrophy? Total number, size and proportion of different fiber types studied in whole vastus lateralis muscle from 15- to 83-year-old men. Journal of the Neurological Science. 1988; 84(2-3):275-294. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-510X(88)90132-3

Lindle, R., Metter, E., Lynch, N., Fleg, J., Fozard, J., Tobin, J., Roy, T., Hurley, B. Age and gender comparisons of muscle strength in 654 women and men aged 20-93 yr. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1997; 83(5):1581-1587. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1997.83.5.1581

Macaluso, A., Nimmo, M., Foster, J., Cockburn, M., Mcmillan, N., De Vito, G. Contractile muscle volume and agonistantagonist coactivation account for differences in torque between young and older women. Muscle Nerve. 2002; 25(6):858-863. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.10113

Mora, M., Villalobos, D., Araya, G., Ozols, A. Perspectiva subjetiva de la calidad de vida del adulto mayor, diferencias ligadas al género y a la práctica de la actividad físico recreativa. Revista MHSalud. 2004; 1(1):2.

Morse, C.H., Degens, H., Jones, D. The validity of estimating quadriceps volume from single MRI cross-sections in young men. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2007; 100:267-274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0429-4

Morse, C.I., Thom, J.M., Davis, M.G., Fox, K.R., Birch, K.M., Narici, M.V. Reduced plantarflexor specific torque in the elderly is associated with a lower activation capacity. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2004; 92 (1-2):219-226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-004-1056-y

Narici, M., Bordini, M., Cerretelli, P. Effect of aging on human adductor pollicis muscle function. Journal of Applied Physiology. 1991; 71(4):1277-1281. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1991.71.4.1277

Narici, M., Maganaris, C., Reeves, N., Capodaglio, P. Effect of aging on human muscle architecture. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2003; 95(6):2229-2234. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00433.2003

Pappas, G.P., Asakawa, D.S., Delp, S.L., Zajac, F.E., Drace, J.E. Nonuniform shortening in the biceps brachii during elbow flexion. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2002; 92(6):2381-2389. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00843.2001

Pearson, M., Bassey, E., Bendall, M. Muscle strength and anthropometric indices in elderly men and women. Age and ageing. 1985; 14:19-54. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/14.1.49

Popadic, J., Kozic, D., Dragnic, N., Jakovljevic, D., Brodie, D., Grujic, N. Changes of functional status and volume of triceps brachii measured by magnetic resonance imaging after maximal resistance training. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2009; 29(3):671-676. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.21690

Popescue, M. Weight training and the velocity of a baseball. Athletic Journal. 1974; 55:105-106.

Renstrom, P. Clinical practice of sports injury prevention and care. Blackwell Scientific Publications. 1994.

Roig, J. Sarcopenia: algo más que la disminución de la masa muscular. G-SE Standard. 15/12/2003. g-se.com/a/222/.

Sale, D.G. Neural adaptation to resistance training. Medicine Science and Sports Exercise. 1988; 20:5135-5145. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198810001-00009

Sanjuás, C. Medición de la calidad de vida: ¿cuestionarios genéricos o específicos? Archivos de Bronconeumología. 2005; 41(3):107-109. https://doi.org/10.1157/13071579

Sapega, A.A. Muscle performance evaluation in orthopaedic practice. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 1990; 72(10):1562-1574. https://doi.org/10.2106/00004623-199072100-00023

Sipila, S. Physical training and skeletal muscle in elderly women. Studies in sport, physical education and health: University of Jyvaskyla. 1996.

Sobel, J. Shoulder rehabilitation: rotator cuff tendonitis, strength training a return to play. In: F. A. Pettrone (Ed.). Symposium on upper extremity injuries in athletes. 1986; 348-347.

Tingart, M.J., Apreleva, M., Lehtinen, J.T., Capell, B., Palmer, W.E., Warner, J.J. Magnetic resonance imaging in quantitative analysis of rotator cuff muscle volume. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 2003; 415:104-110. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.blo.0000092969.12414.e1

Vilaro, J., Gimeno, E., Ferez, N.S., Hernando, C., Díaz, I., Ferrer, M., Roca, J., Alonso, J. Daily living activity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: validation of the Spanish version and comparative analysis of 2 questionnaires. Medicina Clínica. 2007; 129(9):326-332.

Winegard, K., Hicks, A., Sale, D., Vandervoort, A. A 12-year follow-up study of ankle muscle function in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1996; 51(3):B202-207. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/51A.3.B202

Zamboni, M., Turcato, E., Santana, H., Maggi, S., Harris, T., Pietrobelli, A., Heymsfield, S., Micciolo, R., Bosello, O. The relationship between body composition and physical performance in older women. Journal of the American Geriatric Society. 1999; 47(12):1403-1408. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1999.tb01557.x




DOI: https://doi.org/10.4100/jhse.2012.71.08





Copyright (c) 2012 Journal of Human Sport and Exercise

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.