Journal List > Korean J Sports Med > v.35(3) > 1054595

Kim, Chai, Kim, Kim, and Bae: Analysis of Lower Extremity Contraction According to Gender Using Tensiomyography

Abstract

Tensiomyography (TMG) is used to evaluate the contraction characteristics of the thigh muscles according to gender. Our hypothesis is that male's maximal displacement (Dm) will be lower than the control because the Dm increases when the muscle becomes stiff or hypertrophied. TMG evaluated 15 males and 12 females. The biceps femoris, semitendinosus, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris were evaluated. The TMG parameters obtained for each muscle were Dm and contraction time (Tc). And we calculated contraction velocity (Vc) as the rate of the radial displacement occurring during the time period of Tc with respect to Tc. Dm and Vc values of biceps femoris muscles were significantly lower in males than in controls, whereas Dm and Vc values of vastus medialis muscles were significantly lower in females than males. The Tc values of males were significantly higher in right and bilateral sum than females. This is the first report on TMG assessment by gender. We found that it is the most effective in finding muscle contraction characteristics according to gender and can induce the difference between the Dm and Vc of each muscle.

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

System components of tensiomyography (TMG) include electrical stimulator, electrodes, TMG sensor, and user interface.

kjsm-35-181-g001
Fig. 2

(A) Tensiomyography record with parameters' definitions. (B) Tensiomyography assessment in the vastus medialis. Tc: contraction time, Dm: maximal displacement.

kjsm-35-181-g002
Fig. 3

Tensiomyography assessment in the (A) vastus lateralis and (B) biceps femoris.

kjsm-35-181-g003
Fig. 4

Comparison of maximal displacement between male and female. VM: vastus medialis, L: left site, R: right site, S: sum of right and left site, BF: biceps femoris. *p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001.

kjsm-35-181-g004
Fig. 5

Comparison of contraction time between male and female. VM: vastus medialis, L: left site, R: right site, S: sum of right and left site, BF: biceps femoris. **p<0.01.

kjsm-35-181-g005
Fig. 6

Comparison of contraction velocity between male and female. VM: vastus medialis, L: left site, R: right site, S: sum of right and left site, BF: biceps femoris. **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.

kjsm-35-181-g006
Fig. 7

Representative tensiomyography records of male and control groups. VM: vastus medialis, BF: biceps femoris.

kjsm-35-181-g007
Table 1

Subject information

kjsm-35-181-i001

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation.

Table 2

Maximal displacement values for the analyzed muscles in each group

kjsm-35-181-i002

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation.

Lt: left leg, RF: rectus femoris, VM: vastus medialis, VL: vastus lateralis, BF: biceps femoris, ST: semitendinosus, Rt: right leg, Sum: summation of right and left.

*p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.

Table 3

Contraction velocity values for the analyzed muscles in each group

kjsm-35-181-i003

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation.

Lt: left leg, RF: rectus femoris, VM: vastus medialis, VL: vastus lateralis, BF: biceps femoris, ST: semitendinosus, Rt: right leg, Sum: summation of right and left.

**p<0.01.

Table 4

Contraction velocity values (mm/s) for the analyzed muscles in each group

kjsm-35-181-i004

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation.

Lt: left leg, RF: rectus femoris, VM: vastus medialis, VL: vastus lateralis, BF: biceps femoris, ST: semitendinosus, Rt: right leg, Sum: summation of right and left.

**p<0.01, ***p<0.001.

Notes

Conflict of Interest No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

References

1. Harput G, Soylu AR, Ertan H, Ergun N, Mattacola CG. Effect of gender on the quadriceps-to-hamstrings coactivation ratio during different exercises. J Sport Rehabil. 2014; 23:36–43.
2. Medina JM, Valovich McLeod TC, Howell SK, Kingma JJ. Timing of neuromuscular activation of the quadriceps and hamstrings prior to landing in high school male athletes, female athletes, and female non-athletes. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008; 18:591–597.
3. Blackburn JT, Bell DR, Norcross MF, Hudson JD, Kimsey MH. Sex comparison of hamstring structural and material properties. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2009; 24:65–70.
4. Granata KP, Wilson SE, Padua DA. Gender differences in active musculoskeletal stiffness. Part I. Quantification in controlled measurements of knee joint dynamics. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2002; 12:119–126.
5. Ibitoye MO, Hamzaid NA, Zuniga JM, Abdul Wahab AK. Mechanomyography and muscle function assessment: a review of current state and prospects. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2014; 29:691–704.
6. Chai JH, Kim BK, Kim C, Kim CH, Bae SW. Analysis of bodybuilder's skeletal muscle characteristics using tensiomyography. Korean J Sports Med. 2016; 34:146–152.
7. Martin-Rodriguez S, Loturco I, Hunter AM, Rodriguez-Ruiz D, Munguia-Izquierdo D. Reliability and measurement error of tensiomyography to assess mechanical muscle function: a systematic review. J Strength Cond Res. 2017; 31:3524–3536.
8. Islam MA, Sundaraj K, Ahmad RB, Ahamed NU. Mechanomyogram for muscle function assessment: a review. PLoS One. 2013; 8:e58902.
9. Serpell BG, Scarvell JM, Pickering MR, et al. Medial and lateral hamstrings and quadriceps co-activation affects knee joint kinematics and ACL elongation: a pilot study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015; 16:348.
10. Kim C, Chai JH, Kim BK, Kim CH, Bae SW. A novel method for the assessment of muscle injuries. Korean J Sports Med. 2015; 33:59–66.
11. Dahmane R, Valeni V, Knez N, Eren I. Evaluation of the ability to make non-invasive estimation of muscle contractile properties on the basis of the muscle belly response. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2001; 39:51–55.
12. Pisot R, Narici MV, Simunic B, et al. Whole muscle contractile parameters and thickness loss during 35-day bed rest. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008; 104:409–414.
13. Rodriguez-Ruiz D, Garcia-Manso JM, Rodriguez-Matoso D, Sarmiento S, Da Silva-Grigoletto M, Pisot R. Effects of age and physical activity on response speed in knee flexor and extensor muscles. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2013; 10:127–132.
14. Loturco I, Pereira LA, Kobal R, et al. Muscle contraction velocity: a suitable approach to analyze the functional adaptations in elite soccer players. J Sports Sci Med. 2016; 15:483–491.
15. Chow RS, Medri MK, Martin DC, Leekam RN, Agur AM, McKee NH. Sonographic studies of human soleus and gastrocnemius muscle architecture: gender variability. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000; 82:236–244.
16. Horton MG, Hall TL. Quadriceps femoris muscle angle: normal values and relationships with gender and selected skeletal measures. Phys Ther. 1989; 69:897–901.
17. Mitani Y. Gender-related differences in lower limb alignment, range of joint motion, and the incidence of sports injuries in Japanese university athletes. J Phys Ther Sci. 2017; 29:12–15.
18. Malinzak RA, Colby SM, Kirkendall DT, Yu B, Garrett WE. A comparison of knee joint motion patterns between men and women in selected athletic tasks. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2001; 16:438–445.
19. Padua DA, Carcia CR, Arnold BL, Granata KP. Gender differences in leg stiffness and stiffness recruitment strategy during two-legged hopping. J Mot Behav. 2005; 37:111–125.
20. Youdas JW, Hollman JH, Hitchcock JR, Hoyme GJ, Johnsen JJ. Comparison of hamstring and quadriceps femoris electromyographic activity between men and women during a single-limb squat on both a stable and labile surface. J Strength Cond Res. 2007; 21:105–111.
21. Valencic V, Knez N, Simunic B. Tensiomyography: detection of skeletal muscle response by means of radial muscle belly displacement. Biomed Eng. 2001; 1:1–10.
22. Staron RS, Hagerman FC, Hikida RS, et al. Fiber type composition of the vastus lateralis muscle of young men and women. J Histochem Cytochem. 2000; 48:623–629.
23. Johnson MA, Polgar J, Weightman D, Appleton D. Data on the distribution of fibre types in thirty-six human muscles: an autopsy study. J Neurol Sci. 1973; 18:111–129.
24. Jee H, Lim JY. Discrepancies between skinned single muscle fibres and whole thigh muscle function characteristics in young and elderly human subjects. Biomed Res Int. 2016; 2016:6206959.
25. Nakatani M, Takai Y, Akagi R, et al. Validity of muscle thickness-based prediction equation for quadriceps femoris volume in middle-aged and older men and women. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016; 116:2125–2133.
26. Martin-Rodriguez S, Alentorn-Geli E, Tous-Fajardo J, et al. Is tensiomyography a useful assessment tool in sports medicine? Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2017; 25:3980–3981.
TOOLS
Similar articles