Muscle thickness and echo-intensity changes of the quadriceps femoris muscle during a strength training program. Issue 4 (November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santos, R.; Valamatos, M.J.; Mil-Homens, P.; Armada-da-Silva, P.A.S.
• Is Part Of: Radiography. Volume 24:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: e75
• Page End: e84
• Publication Date: 2018-11
• Subjects: Quantitative ultrasound -- Thickness -- Echo-intensity -- Strength training -- Muscle adaptation; Con control group -- Conc concentric -- Ecc eccentric -- EI echo-intensity -- GCon concentric training group -- GEcc eccentric training group -- MVC maximal voluntary contraction -- MSK musculoskeletal -- MT muscle thickness -- RF rectus femoris -- ROI region of interest -- ROM range of motion -- SD standard deviation -- US ultrasound -- VI vastus intermedius -- VL vastus lateralis -- VM vastus medialis; Diagnostic imaging -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; Radiothérapie -- Périodiques; Cancer -- Radiothérapie -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2018.03.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-8174

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Ultrasound (US) has an important role in musculoskeletal (MSK) evaluation, allowing the study of muscle morphology and function. Muscle thickness (MT) and muscle echo-intensity (EI) are two important parameters that may quantify muscle structural adaptations to a variety of stimuli. The aim was to explore the potential of quantitative US imaging for assessing the adaptations and responses of the muscle tissue to increased contractile activity using B-mode US. This study was centred on the quadriceps femoris muscle contractile activity on MT and EI. Methods and materials: Twenty-eight young male adults participated in the study, divided in a control group and two training groups performing concentric or eccentric strength training, respectively. The effect of a 15-week strength program was studied on MT and EI in several regions of the heads of the quadriceps femoris using B-mode US. All images acquisitions and measurements were done by the same experience sonographer. Results: Strength training resulted in an increase of MT at all muscles and sites ( p < 0.05), except the VM. Strength training failed in changing EI in most of the quadriceps femoris, except in the VI and some regions of the VL. No statistically significant differences were observed in our quantitative US parameters between concentric and eccentric training ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: These results emphasise the value of MT as a quantifiable muscle US method for evaluating muscle adaptation to exercise training. However, the inconsistency of the EI values indicates that more studies are needed to develop it as an accurate diagnostic tool. Highlights: Both concentric and eccentric strength training produced similar results in MT and EI. After strength training, changes existed in MT between different regions of the muscles. MT is a consistently accurate tool for measuring change in muscle. After training, there were no consistent changes on the quadriceps femoris EI values. EI values showed that more studies are needed to develop it as an accurate US tool.