A new approach to the classification of muscle health: preliminary investigations

Thornley, Isobel; Hynd, Jason; Stein, Stella; Butterworth, Mathew; Hind, Karen; Francis, Peter

Abstract

Objective: Upper leg skeletal or lean tissue mass (LTM), strength and muscle quality have emerged as time-sensitive indices of muscular health. The aim of this study was to generate a comparative data set based on these indices, in healthy young (n  =  30, 29.0  ±  3.0 y old) and older (n  =  32, 58.7  ±  2.8 years old) adults, in order to evaluate their construct validity in establishing cut-points for muscle health. Approach: Whole body and upper leg LTM was obtained (iDXATM; GE Healthcare, Madison, WI) prior to the assessment of maximal voluntary isometric torque of the knee extensors and flexors (Cybex Isokinetic Dynamometer; Humac Norm, USA). Main results: Peak isometric upper leg torque showed the greatest age-related difference (−29.0%), followed by muscle quality (−19.1%) and upper leg LTM (–9.8%). Significance: Cut-points based on Z and T-scores generated from the young adult mean suggest muscle quality demonstrates the greatest construct validity toward the aim of classifying the muscular health of adults. Data generated from large, representative and sex-specific samples are required to adequately classify the muscular health of adults.

Citation

Thornley, I., Hynd, J., Stein, S., Butterworth, M., Hind, K., & Francis, P. (2019). A new approach to the classification of muscle health: preliminary investigations. Physiological Measurement, 40(8), Article 085001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6579/ab2aea

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 19, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Aug 30, 2019
• Publication Date: Aug 31, 2019
• Deposit Date: Oct 10, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 30, 2020
• Journal: Physiological Measurement
• Print ISSN: 0967-3334
• Electronic ISSN: 1361-6579
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 8
• Article Number: 085001
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6579/ab2aea
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1288703