Effects of Various Muscle Disuse States and Countermeasures on Muscle Molecular Signaling

Skeletal muscle is capable of changing its structural parameters, metabolic rate and functional characteristics within a wide range when adapting to various loading regimens and states of the organism. Prolonged muscle inactivation leads to serious negative consequences that affect the quality of life and work capacity of people. This review examines various conditions that lead to decreased levels of muscle loading and activity and describes the key molecular mechanisms of muscle responses to these conditions. It also details the theoretical foundations of various methods preventing adverse muscle changes caused by decreased motor activity and describes these methods. A number of recent studies presented in this review make it possible to determine the molecular basis of the countermeasure methods used in rehabilitation and space medicine for many years, as well as to identify promising new approaches to rehabilitation and to form a holistic understanding of the mechanisms of gravity force control over the muscular system.

Proactive Modulation in the Spatiotemporal Structure of Muscle Synergies Minimizes Reactive Responses in Perturbed Landings

Stability training in the presence of perturbations is an effective means of increasing muscle strength, improving reactive balance performance, and reducing fall risk. We investigated the effects of perturbations induced by an unstable surface during single-leg landings on the mechanical loading and modular organization of the leg muscles. We hypothesized a modulation of neuromotor control when landing on the unstable surface, resulting in an increase of leg muscle loading. Fourteen healthy adults performed 50 single-leg landings from a 30 cm height onto two ground configurations: stable solid ground (SG) and unstable foam pads (UG). Ground reaction force, joint kinematics, and electromyographic activity of 13 muscles of the landing leg were measured. Resultant joint moments were calculated using inverse dynamics and muscle synergies with their time-dependent (motor primitives) and time-independent (motor modules) components were extracted via non-negative matrix factorization. Three synergies related to the touchdown, weight acceptance, and stabilization phase of landing were found for both SG and UG. When compared with SG, the motor primitive of the touchdown synergy was wider in UG (p < 0.001). Furthermore, in UG the contribution of gluteus medius increased (p = 0.015) and of gastrocnemius lateralis decreased (p < 0.001) in the touchdown synergy. Weight acceptance and stabilization did not show any statistically significant differences between the two landing conditions. The maximum ankle and hip joint moment as well as the rate of ankle, knee, and hip joint moment development were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the UG condition. The spatiotemporal modifications of the touchdown synergy in the UG condition highlight proactive adjustments in the neuromotor control of landings, which preserve reactive adjustments during the weight acceptance and stabilization synergies. Furthermore, the performed proactive control in combination with the viscoelastic properties of the soft surface resulted in a reduction of the mechanical loading in the lower leg muscles. We conclude that the use of unstable surfaces does not necessarily challenge reactive motor control nor increase muscle loading per se. Thus, the characteristics of the unstable surface and the dynamics of the target task must be considered when designing perturbation-based interventions.

Timing of Creatine Supplementation around Exercise: A Real Concern?

Creatine has been considered an effective ergogenic aid for several decades; it can help athletes engaged in a variety of sports and obtain performance gains. Creatine supplementation increases muscle creatine stores; several factors have been identified that may modify the intramuscular increase and subsequent performance benefits, including baseline muscle Cr content, type II muscle fibre content and size, habitual dietary intake of Cr, aging, and exercise. Timing of creatine supplementation in relation to exercise has recently been proposed as an important consideration to optimise muscle loading and performance gains, although current consensus is lacking regarding the ideal ingestion time. Research has shifted towards comparing creatine supplementation strategies pre-, during-, or post-exercise. Emerging evidence suggests greater benefits when creatine is consumed after exercise compared to pre-exercise, although methodological limitations currently preclude solid conclusions. Furthermore, physiological and mechanistic data are lacking, in regard to claims that the timing of creatine supplementation around exercise moderates gains in muscle creatine and exercise performance. This review discusses novel scientific evidence on the timing of creatine intake, the possible mechanisms that may be involved, and whether the timing of creatine supplementation around exercise is truly a real concern.

Stepwise increase of upper limb muscle activity induced by progressive 4 positions of a handstand training

BACKGROUND: Handstand is the most important fundamental skill in gymnastics. A gradual and well-balanced increase in muscle loading in a manner is preferred for young beginners and/or recovering gymnasts to safely achieve the muscle strength required to perform a stable handstand. OBJECTIVE: To examine upper limb muscle activity during different levels of handstand training positions. METHODS: This study utilized four different positions for progressive handstand training; namely, the 90, 135, elbow stand, and handstand positions. The activities of eight upper limb muscles (upper, middle, and lower trapezius; serratus anterior; anterior and middle deltoid; infraspinatus; and latissimus dorsi were measured by surface electromyography (EMG) for each position. The percentages of EMG in each muscle compared to the values during maximum voluntary contraction were calculated and compared between the positions. RESULTS: Muscle activity around the shoulder increased gradually throughout the progression of the four handstand training positions. Furthermore, the muscles required for scapular stabilization, such as the upper and middle trapezius and serratus anterior muscles, were activated at levels similar to those for a handstand without performing this movement. CONCLUSIONS: A progressive handstand training program of four different positions resulted in gradual and well-balanced increases in muscle activity.

Relationship between the kinematics of wrist/finger joint movements and muscle loading during typing in people with different skill levels

Background Musculoskeletal disorders caused by computer use are associated with socio-economic problems. Reducing the biomechanical loading caused by hand movements could reduce the occurrence of such disorders. However, most participants recruited for past experimental studies had a certain level of typing skill, and differences in the biomechanical loading of those with different typing skills have not been examined. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between the movements of the wrist and finger joints and the loading on the forearm muscles and to clarify the differences between typists of different skill levels. Methods A 3D motion capture system measured wrist and index finger joint movements, and surface electromyography measured muscle activities for the right hand during a typing task. We compared wrist and finger joint movements and forearm muscle loading during typing, keystroke time, and key release time between skilled and unskilled typists. Findings Skilled typists move their wrists and fingers faster with less muscle activity during typing, the active tension of their finger flexor muscles during keystrokes are high, and they have higher mechanical stresses on the finger flexor tendons during keystrokes. Unskilled typists develop strategies to prevent excessive stiffness in their wrist joints when making keystrokes. They are expected to have a higher cumulative loading on the extensor muscles of the wrist during key release. Interpretation Biomechanical loading in typing skill is different, which may make it possible to predict disability. This could provide information on the changes in physical parameters and environments to prevent disability.

Prenatal muscle forces are necessary for vertebral segmentation and disc structure, but not for notochord involution in mice

Embryonic muscle forces are necessary for normal vertebral development and spinal curvature, but their involvement in intervertebral disc (IVD) development remains unclear. The aim of the current study was to determine how muscle contractions affect (1) notochord involution and vertebral segmentation, and (2) IVD development including the mechanical properties and morphology, as well as collagen fibre alignment in the annulus fibrosus. Muscular dysgenesis (mdg) mice were harvested at three prenatal stages: at Theiler Stage (TS)22 when notochord involution starts, at TS24 when involution is complete, and at TS27 when the IVD is formed. Vertebral and IVD development were characterised using histology, immunofluorescence, and indentation testing. The results revealed that notochord involution and vertebral segmentation occurred independently of muscle contractions between TS22 and TS24. However, in the absence of muscle contractions, we found vertebral fusion in the cervical region at TS27, along with (i) a displacement of the nucleus pulposus towards the dorsal side, (ii) a disruption of the structural arrangement of collagen in the annulus fibrosus, and (iii) an increase in viscous behaviour of the annulus fibrosus. These findings emphasise the important role of mechanical forces during IVD development, and demonstrate a critical role of muscle loading during development to enable proper annulus fibrosus formation. They further suggest a need for mechanical loading in the creation of fibre-reinforced tissue engineering replacement IVDs as a therapy for IVD degeneration.

Carpal Arch Changes in Response to Thenar Muscle Loading

This study investigated the biomechanical effects of thenar muscles (abductor pollicis brevis, APB; superficial head of flexor pollicis brevis, sFPB; opponens pollicis, OPP) on the transverse carpal ligament formed carpal arch under force application by individual or combined muscles (APB, sFPB, OPP, APB-sFPB, sFPB-OPP, APB-OPP, and APB-sFPB-OPP). In ten cadaveric hands, thenar muscles were loaded under 15% of their respective maximal force capacity, and ultrasound images of the cross section of the distal carpal tunnel were collected for morphometric analyses of the carpal arch. The carpal arch height and area were significantly dependent on the loading condition (p < 0.01), muscle combination (p < 0.05), and their interaction (p < 0.01). The changes to arch height and area were significantly dependent on the muscle combinations (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The arch height and area increased under the loading combinations of APB, OPP, APB-sFPB, APB-OPP or APB-sFPB-OPP (p < 0.05), but not under the combinations of sFPB (p = 0.893) or sFPB-OPP (p = 0.338). The carpal arch change under the APB-sFPB-OPP or APB-OPP loading was greater than that under the loading of APB-sFPB (p < 0.001). This study demonstrated that thenar muscle forces exert biomechanical effects on the transverse carpal ligament to increase carpal arch height and area, and these increases were different for individual muscles and their combinations.

A novel murine muscle loading model to investigate Achilles musculotendinous adaptation

We introduce a novel mouse model of hindlimb muscle loading designed to achieve a tissue-targeted therapeutic exercise. This innovative model allows for application of muscle loading “doses,” coupled with ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, inspired by human loading clinical treatment. Our model facilitates future investigation of mechanisms whereby rehabilitative muscle loading promotes healing of Achilles tendon injuries.

Individual variation in Achilles tendon morphology and geometry changes susceptibility to injury

The unique structure of the Achilles tendon, combining three smaller sub-tendons, enhances movement efficiency by allowing individual control from connected muscles. This requires compliant interfaces between sub-tendons, but compliance decreases with age and may account for increased injury frequency. Current understanding of sub-tendon sliding and its role in the whole Achilles tendon function is limited. Here we show changing the degree of sliding greatly affects the tendon mechanical behaviour. Our in vitro testing discovered distinct sub-tendon mechanical properties in keeping with their mechanical demands. In silico study based on measured properties, subject-specific tendon geometry, and modified sliding capacity demonstrated age-related displacement reduction similar to our in vivo ultrasonography measurements. Peak stress magnitude and distribution within the whole Achilles tendon are affected by individual tendon geometries, the sliding capacity between sub-tendons, and different muscle loading conditions. These results suggest clinical possibilities to identify patients at risk and design personalised rehabilitation protocols.