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Results for “Muscle Strength”

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PubMed1995

[Indicators of circulation, respiration and muscle strength in puberty].

Measure of vital capacity, grasping strength, stature, weight, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as pulse frequency, both before and after exertion, were made on 165 twelve to fourteen year-old boys and girls from Hamburg schools-(Gymnasium). Age and sex showed significant mean differences on these measures, but not constantly so. Analysis of variance indicated some influence of age and sex, but these variables explained only a small part of total variance of physiological measures. Partial correlations clarified that age affects physiological measures primarily through its influence on height and weight. Only a few indicators showed a direct influence of maturity (i.e. menarchy) among girls.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Randomised controlled trial of transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation of the lower extremities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Although exercise training improves exercise tolerance in most patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), some patients with severe disease may not be able to tolerate exercise training due to incapacitating breathlessness. Transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation (TCEMS) has been shown to improve muscle strength, muscle mass, and performance in paraplegics, patients with knee ligament injury, and patients with peripheral vascular disease. We hypothesised that TCEMS of the lower extremities can improve muscle strength and exercise tolerance in patients with moderate to severe COPD. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial of TCEMS of the lower extremities was performed in 18 medically stable patients of mean (SD) age 60.0 (1.5) years with a mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) of 1.03 (0.10) l (38% predicted) and residual volume/total lung capacity (RV/TLC) of 59 (2)%. Stimulation of the lower extremities was performed three times a week, 20 minutes each session, for six continuous weeks. Quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength, exercise capacity, and peak oxygen uptake were measured at baseline and after 6 weeks of stimulation. RESULTS: TCEMS improved both the quadriceps strength (by 39.0 (20.4)% v 9.0 (8.1)%, p=0.046) and hamstring muscle strength (by 33.9 (13.0)% v 2.9 (4.7)%, p=0.038) in the treated (n=9) and sham treated (n=9) groups, respectively. The improvement in muscle strength carried over to better performance in the shuttle walk test in the treated group (36.1% v 1.6% in the treated and sham groups respectively, p=0.007, Mann-Whitney U test). There was no significant change in lung function, peak workload, or peak oxygen consumption in either group. Muscle stimulation was well tolerated by the patients with no dropouts and better than 95% compliance with the protocol. CONCLUSIONS: TCEMS of peripheral muscles can be a useful adjunct to the comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with COPD.

Double-Blind Method↗

PubMed1999

Muscle performance in fibromyalgia syndrome.

The objective of the study was to examine the muscle performance, isokinetic muscle strength, muscle endurance ratio, and submaximal aerobic performance in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients, to evaluate the relation between muscle performance, pain severity, clinical findings, and physical activity level, and to compare the results with healthy control subjects. Twenty-four FMS patients and 15 control subjects participated in this study. Data were obtained about the symptoms, location and onset of pain, treatment, and associated symptoms. Patients and controls underwent an examination of isokinetic muscle strength of right quadriceps on a Cybex dynamometer, and submaximal aerobic performance tests (PWC-170) were done for all subjects. Maximal voluntary muscle strength of the quadriceps was significantly lower in patients compared with the control group. Endurance ratios showing the work capacity were not statistically different between two groups. Submaximal aerobic performance scores were higher in the control group. There was not a relation between the decreased muscle performance and clinical findings, including pain severity, number of tender points, and duration of the symptoms of FMS patients. We found a reduced quadriceps muscle strength and submaximal aerobic performance in patients with FMS, indicating that patients have impaired muscle function.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Exercise, age, and skeletal muscle function.

Skeletal muscle strength, muscle mass, and psychomotor performance decline with age. These declines are associated with reduced functional capacity and an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury and dependent care. Resistance exercise training is generally safe and effective for improving muscle strength and increasing muscle mass in the elderly. The magnitude of improvement depends on the intensity of training and the initial level of fitness. Because many elderly persons have low levels of muscular strength, they show a greater than average potential for relative improvement. Whether an exercise program can enhance psychomotor performance in the elderly is equivocal. Participating in a well-rounded program of physical activity throughout life may be the best approach to attenuating the decline in skeletal muscle function associated with aging.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

The utility of resistance exercise training and amino acid supplementation for reversing age-associated decrements in muscle protein mass and function.

Advancing age is associated with reduced skeletal muscle protein synthesis, altered expression of and chemical modifications to muscle proteins, reduced muscle strength, muscle strength per unit muscle mass and muscle power (sarcopenia). These age-associated impairments in the quantity and quality of contractile protein contribute to physical disability and frailty, a loss of independent function, the risk of falling and fractures, and escalating health-care costs. Progressive resistance exercise training is a potent, non-pharmacologic, efficacious therapy for the impairment in muscle quantity and quality in middle age and physically frail adults. Evidence is accumulating that dietary amino acid supplementation may also improve muscle protein balance in the elderly. Several potential cellular mechanisms for the loss of muscle protein and resistance exercise-induced improvements in muscle quantity and quality in elderly adults are reviewed.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between bone mineral density of the proximal femur and strength of hip muscles in postmenopausal women.

The relationship between muscle strength and bone density is well known, but only a limited number of studies relating muscle strength to bone mineral density of a site-specific limb have been performed. The main purposes of this study were as follows: (1) to assess the relationship between the strength of hip muscles and bone mineral density of the proximal femur in 100 postmenopausal women; (2) to compare strength values of three subgroups, which were formed on the basis of the femoral neck Z-scores. By using an isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex 350), muscle strength tests were performed for hip muscles and bone mineral density measurements were obtained by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Statistical analysis demonstrated a moderately positive correlation between bone mineral density of the femoral neck and hip muscle strength (with abductors: r = 0.267, P = 0.008; with adductors: r = 0.276, P = 0.007). A moderate correlation was also found between bone mineral density of Ward's triangle and hip adductors (r = 0.327; P = 0.001). When muscle strength mean values of subgroups were compared with each other, there was no statistically significant differences. These data may suggest that the isokinetic strength of hip muscles may not contribute to the bone mineral density of the proximal femur.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

What is sarcopenia?

Advancing adult age is associated with profound changes in body composition, the principal component of which is a decrease in skeletal muscle mass. This age-related loss in skeletal muscle has been referred to as sarcopenia. Age-related reduction in muscle is a direct cause of the age-related decrease in muscle strength. Muscle mass (not function) appears to be the major determinant of the age- and sex-related differences in strength. This relationship is independent of muscle location (upper vs lower extremities) and function (extension vs flexion). Reduced muscle strength in the elderly is a major cause for their increased prevalence of disability. With advancing age and extremely low activity levels seen in the very old, muscle strength is a critical component of walking ability. The high prevalence of falls among the institutionalized elderly may be a consequence of their lower muscle strength. Daily energy expenditure declines progressively throughout adult life. In sedentary individuals, the main determinant of energy expenditure is fat-free mass, which declines by about 15% between the third and eighth decade of life, contributing to a lower basal metabolic rate in the elderly. Data indicate that preservation of muscle mass and prevention of sarcopenia can help prevent the decrease in metabolic rate. In addition to its role in energy metabolism, skeletal muscle and its age-related decline may contribute to such age-associated changes as reduction in bone density, insulin sensitivity, and aerobic capacity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Role of exercise in the assessment and management of neuromuscular disease in children.

In the child with a neuromuscular disease (NMD), one can use exercise for the assessment of physiological function and as a therapeutic modality. Functions most relevant for assessment are muscle strength, muscle endurance, peak mechanical power, and O2 cost of movement. Maximal aerobic power is less important because it seldom is the limiting factor in the child's ability to perform daily physical activities. There are very few well-designed controlled training interventions in children with NMD. There is, however, some evidence to suggest that maximal aerobic power, muscle strength, and O2 cost of locomotion are trainable in children with NMD.

Cerebral Palsy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Functional instability of the ankle and the role of neuromuscular control: a comprehensive review.

A review of current knowledge of the clinical syndrome of functional ankle instability is presented. Recent evidence has demonstrated that the majority of patients with functional instability of the ankle do not have mechanical hypermobility of the ankle joint. Functional instability of the ankle results from a loss of neuromuscular control. Components of neuromuscular control include proprioception, muscle strength, muscle reaction time, and postural control. Proprioceptive deficits lead to a delay in peroneal reaction time, which appears to be a peripheral reflex. Proprioception and eversion muscle strength improve with the use of passive supportive devices. Balance and postural control of the ankle appear to be diminished after a lateral ankle sprain and can be restored through training that is mediated through central nervous mechanisms. Methods of detecting deficits in neuromuscular control are presented along with rehabilitation techniques to treat functional instability of the ankle.

Ankle Injuries↗

PubMed1995

The greater risk of alcoholic cardiomyopathy and myopathy in women compared with men.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cardiac and muscular status of male and female alcoholics to determine if the response of women to alcohol is different from that of men. DESIGN: Cross-section study. SETTING: An ambulatory alcoholism treatment unit in the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona. PATIENTS: Fifty asymptomatic alcoholic women, 100 asymptomatic alcoholic men, and 50 female nonalcoholic controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Studies included clinical assessment of muscle strength, muscle biopsy, echocardiography, radionuclide cardiac angiography, and treadmill exercise electrocardiographic recording test. RESULTS: The mean strength of the deltoid muscle in alcoholic women was significantly lower than that in controls (P < .001) and half suffered clinical weakness (muscle strength > or = 2 SD below controls). Muscle biopsy specimens from half of all asymptomatic women showed histologic evidence of myopathy. Left ventricular ejection fractions tended to be depressed, and a third of the alcoholic women had evidence of cardiomyopathy. Muscular strength and ejection fractions in women were inversely correlated with the total lifetime dose of ethanol, whereas the left ventricular mass showed a direct correlation. Of the alcoholic men, 39% suffered clinical weakness, and 45% had histologic evidence of myopathy. Evidence of cardiomyopathy was found in almost a third of the men, and their ejection fractions also correlated inversely with the total lifetime dose of ethanol. However, the threshold dose for the development of cardiomyopathy was considerably less in women than in men, and the decline in the ejection fraction with increasing alcohol dose was significantly steeper (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that the mean lifetime dose of alcohol in female alcoholics was only 60% that in male alcoholics, cardiomyopathy and myopathy were as common in female alcoholics as in male alcoholics. This finding, together with a more pronounced response of the ejection fraction to the dose of ethanol, indicates that women are more sensitive than men to the toxic effects of alcohol on striated muscle.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Relationships between impairments in strength of limb muscle actions following stroke.

To examine the relationships between impairments in limb muscle strength soon after stroke, a secondary analysis of a data base of 48 patients with stroke was undertaken. Measurements of isometric muscle strength obtained bilaterally from eight muscle actions and recorded in the data base were retrieved for analysis. Most of the strength measures correlated significantly with one another. The measures of muscle strength showed high internal consistency in each limb, on each side, and over-all. Principal components analysis and cluster analysis indicated that the closest relationships were between muscle actions of the upper limb contralateral to the stroke (the "paretic" side), limb muscle actions of the side ipsilateral to the stroke (the "nonparetic" side), and muscle actions of the lower limbs. These findings may reflect the organization of the central nervous system following stroke.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Measuring the strength of the intrinsic muscles of the hand in patients with ulnar and median nerve injuries: reliability of the Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer (RIHM).

PURPOSE: To determine the reliability and measurement error of measurements of intrinsic muscle strength of a new hand-held dynamometer (the Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer [RIHM]). METHODS: With the RIHM we obtained repeated measurements of the intrinsic muscle strength of the hand in 27 patients with peripheral nerve injury of the ulnar and/or median nerve in different stages of rehabilitation. The average time period after injury was 4.4 years (range, 99 days-11 years). RESULTS: Differences between 2 measurements greater than 6.3 N were interpreted as a real change in assessing the strength of the abduction of the little and index finger; for the median innervated muscles of the thumb this value was 16 N. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with nerve injuries the muscle strength is usually assessed with manual muscle strength testing and grip- and pinch-strength dynamometers. Preferably the intrinsic muscle strength should be measured in isolation and quantitatively. The RIHM is a new dynamometer that allows for measurements of the intrinsic muscle strength in isolation with reliability comparable to grip and pinch measurements.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

[The physically-inactive surgical patient].

Major surgery is associated with a decrease in muscle strength, muscle mass and functional performance. However, early intervention with intensive physical training seems to counteract the loss in muscle mass and muscle function as well as to shorten the postoperative length of stay in hospital. In addition, a sufficient intake of protein seems to be a central element in the treatment of postoperative patients to reduce the protein degradation normally seen with immobilisation and surgery. Knowledge regarding the potential effect of preoperative physical activity is sparse.

Early Ambulation↗

PubMed1988

Isometric strength and occupational muscle disorders.

In two longitudinal studies, initial muscle strength and endurance of the shoulder-forearm muscles were related to deterioration of shoulder-neck-arm disorders after one year. Group I (n = 32) worked in the automobile industry assembling car motors. Their work was performed when standing and walking, and implied varied postures and exertion of external forces. Group II (n = 96) worked in the electronics industry assembling printed circuit boards. They worked sitting down and were exposed mainly to postural static loads. Muscle strength was negatively related to deterioration in group I but no such relationship was found in group II. The mechanism of occupational muscular injury is discussed, and it is suggested that mechanical overstress of the musculoskeletal system causes injury in occupations where external forces are exerted. The mechanism of injury in static, postural loads remains to be explained.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Isokinetic strength of elbow extensor muscles correlates with race time in wheelchair half marathon racers.

It has been reported that grasping power and isometric muscle strength of elbow extensors in fine wheelchair racers were greater than the poor racers in the wheelchair full marathon. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between muscle strength of elbow extensors and flexors and the race time in wheelchair half marathon race. Four wheelchair half marathon racers who completed the half marathon division of the 16th Oita International Wheelchair Marathon (OIWM) in 1996 participated in the present study. The day before the race, all subjects reported to the training room and the isokinetic muscle strength of elbow extensor and flexor muscle groups was measured at angular speeds of 60 degrees, 120 degrees and 240 degrees/sec using the isokinetic dynamometer. There was a significant correlation between race time and isokinetic muscle strength of the elbow extensors at 60 degrees, 120 degrees and 240 degrees/sec, but not flexor muscles. Our findings suggest that increased muscle strength of elbow extensors may improve the race time in wheelchair half marathon race.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Determinants of +Gz-related neck pain: a preliminary survey.

The aim of the present study was to detect determinants of acute inflight neck pain in a cohort of 27 student fighter pilots frequently exposed to high +Gz forces. Strenuousness of work, job satisfaction, psychological distress, smoking habits, and frequency of muscle strength, muscle endurance, and aerobic training regimens were inquired about by questionnaire. Physical examination determined the subjects' height, body weight, body mass index, head and neck circumference, passive cervical range of motion, grip strength, and isometric strength of neck muscles. The frequency of muscle endurance training was the only possible determinant related to experienced acute inflight neck pain.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1994

+Gz-related neck pain: a follow-up study.

This epidemiologic study was aimed at detecting determinants of acute inflight neck pain. It followed a cohort of 66 student fighter pilots from 1 to 3 years. These pilots were frequently exposed to high +Gz forces. The number of flight hours, strenuousness of work, job satisfaction, symptoms suggesting psychologic distress, smoking habits, and the frequency of muscle strength, muscle endurance, and aerobic training were investigated by questionnaires at the beginning and end of the follow-up period. Physical examination, consisting of measurement of height, body weight, body mass index, head and neck circumference, passive cervical range of motion, grip strength, and isometric strength of neck muscles was done only at the beginning of the study. The cumulative incidence of acute inflight neck pain was 37.9%. The number of flight hours was found to be the only significant determinant of acute inflight neck pain.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2004

Relations between strength and endurance of leg skeletal muscle and cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters in patients with chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: The relations between muscle strength, muscle endurance, and cardiopulmonary parameters were investigated in patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: The subjects comprised 33 outpatients with stable chronic heart failure (27 men, 6 women, mean age 60.3 +/- 12.7 years). A pedal-type isokinetic device was used throughout the study. The safety of the study protocol was examined first. Maximum muscle power (peak power), an index of muscle strength, was measured for 6 consecutive revolutions(3 revolutions of each leg). The strength decrement index (SDI) was measured for 20 consecutive maximal revolutions (10 revolutions in each leg). The SDI is an index of muscle endurance and compares the mean power for revolutions 9 and 10 with that for revolutions 2 and 3. Each subjects underwent symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing with a cycle ergometer on another day. RESULTS: No subject experienced continuous abnormal heart rate or blood pressure response, chest pain, ischemic ST-T change, or severe arrhythmia. The peak power and the SDI were correlated with the anaerobic threshold (r = 0.42, 0.52, respectively), with peak oxygen uptake (r = 0.66, 0.61), and with the increase in oxygen uptake per unit increase in work rate (r = 0.43, 0.63). However, the slope of the ventilation equivalent to carbon dioxide output was correlated only with the SDI (r = -0.54) and the time constant for the oxygen uptake decrease was correlated only with the peak power (r = -0.46). CONCLUSIONS: Peak functional capacity depends on both muscle strength and endurance, and subjective symptoms in daily activity, especially dyspnea on exertion, depend mainly on muscle endurance in patients with chronic heart failure.

Aged↗