Abstract
The aim of the present study was to reinvestigate muscle strength and the relationship to muscle fibre and the level of physical activity in adult men and women previously studied during adolescence. A group of 55 men and 26 women were tested for maximal strength (handgrip, Sargent jump and two-handlift) and completed a questionnaire concerning physical activity during their leisure time (activity index) at the ages of 16 and 27 years. Biopsy specimens were taken from the vastus lateralis and analysed for fibre type (percentage of 1, IIA, IIB) and fibre area (area I, area IIA, area IIB). The sex differences in strength increased from age 16 to 17 years. Body dimension, sex, percentage of type II, mean fibre area and the activity index contributed to explaining 50–75% of the strength at both ages. Different changes in relationship between fibre type composition and strength in women and men was seen with increasing age. In the women, the relationship between strength and the percentage of type II fibres changed with age (from 16 to 27 years of age) from a positive correlation (only Sargent jump) to negative correlations for all the strength tests, i.e. the more type I fibres the stronger the subject. A positive correlation between strength and the level of physical activity during leisure time was revealed in the women at both ages. The positive correlation between strength and type II fibres in the 16-year-old men had disappeared at age 27. No systematic relationships between strength and the level of physical activity were seen in the men at either 16 or 27 years of age. It is suggested that women may be more dependent on physical activity than adult men to develop strength and the percentage of type I fibres reflects the degree of physical activity among adult women but not among adolescent women.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aniansson A, Grimby G, Hedberg M, Krotkiewski M (1981) Muscle morphology, enzyme activity and muscle strength in elderly men and women. Clin Physiol 1:73–86
Aniansson A, Hedberg M, Henning G-B, Grimby G (1986) Muscle morphology, enzymatic activity, and muscle strength in elderly men: a follow-up study. Muscle Nerve 9:585–591
Arvidsson I, Arvidsson H, Eriksson E, Jansson E (1986) Prevention of quadriceps wasting after immobilization: an elevation of the effect of electrical stimulation. Orthopedics 9:1519–1528
Asmussen E, Heebøll-Nielsen K (1955) A dimensional analysis of physical performance and growth in boys. J Appl Physiol 7:593–603
Åstrand I (1960) Aerobic work capacity in men and women with special reference to age. Acta Physiol Scand 49 [Suppl 169]:1–92
Åstrand P-O, Ryhming I (1954) A nomogram for calculation of aerobic capacity (physical fitness) from pulse rate during submaximal work. J Appl Physiol 7:218
Bergström J (1962) Muscle electrolytes in man. Scand J Clin Lab Invest [Suppl] 68:1–110
Bosco C, Thihanyi J, Komi PV, Fekete Gy, Apor P (1982) Store and recoil of elastic energy in slow and fast types of human skeletal muscles. Acta Physiol Scand 116:343–349
Botinelli R, Schiaffino S, Reggiani C (1991) Force-velocity relations and moysin heavy chain isoforms compositions of skinned fibres from rat skeletal muscle. J Physiol (Lond) 437:655–672
Coyle EF, Costill DL, Lesmes GR (1979) Leg extension power and muscle fibre composition. Med Sci Sports 11:12–15
Draper N, Smith H (1981) Applied regression analysis, 2nd edn. J Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, pp 169–171
Eddinger TJ, Moss RL (1987) Mechanical properties of skinned single fibres of identified types from rat diaphragm. Am J Physiol 253: C210–218
Engström L-M (1980) Physical activity of children and youth. Acta Paediatr [Suppl] 283:101–105
Glenmark B, Hedberg G, Jansson E (1992) Changes in muscle fibre type from adolescence to adulthood in women and men. Acta Physiol Scand 146:251–259
Glenmark B, Hedberg G, Jansson E (1993) Running capacity from adolescence to adulthood: relationship to physical characteristics. Int J Sports Med 14:118–123
Gollnick PD, Karlsson J, Piehl K, Saltin B (1974) Selective glycogen depletion in skeletal muscle fibres of man following sustained contractions. J Physiol (Lond) 241:59–67
Greaser ML, Moss RL, Reiser PJ (1988) Variation in contractile properties of rabbit single muscle fibres in relation to troponin T isoforms and myosin light chains. J Physiol (Lond) 406:85–98
Gutman E, Hanzlikova-Lojdaz V (1970) Effect of androgens on histochemical fibre type. Histochemie 24:287–291
Häkkinen K, Komi PV (1983) Electromyographic changes during strength training and detraining. Med Sci Sports Exerc 15:455–460
Häkkinen K, Pakarinen A, Komi PV, Ryushi T, Kauhanen H (1989) Neuromuscular adaptations and hormone balance in strength athletes, physically active males and females during intensive strength training. In: Gregor R et al. (eds) Biomechanics XII International. University of California, Los Angeles, pp 8–9
Jacobs I, Tesch P (1981) Short time, maximal muscular performance: relation to muscle lactate and fibre type in females. In: Borms J, Hebbelink M, Venerondo A (eds) S Karger, Basel (Medicin and Sport, vol. 14) Proceedings of the International Congress on Women and Sports, Rome
Jansson E, Hedberg G (1991) Skeletal muscle fibre types in teenagers: relation to physical performance and physical activity. Scand J Med Sci Sports 1:31–44
Komi PV, Rusko H, Vos J, Vihko V (1977) Anaerobic performance capacity in athletes. Acta Physiol Scand 100:107–114
Krotkiewski M, Kral JG, Karlsson J (1980) Effects of castration and testosterone substitution on body composition and muscle metabolism in rats. Acta Physiol Scand 109:233–237
Larsson L, Moss RL (1993) Maximum velocity of shortening in relation to myosin isoforms composition in single fibres from human skeletal muscles. J Physiol (Lond) 472:595–614
Lortie G, Simoneau JA, Hamel P, Boulay MR, Bouchard C (1985) Relationship between skeletal muscle characteristics and aerobic performance in sedentary and active subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol 54:471–475
Maughan RJ, Nimmo MA (1984) The influence of variations in muscle fibre composition on muscle strength and cross-sectional area in untrained males. J Physiol (Lond) 351:299–311
Maughan RJ, Watson JS, Weir J (1983) Relationships between muscle strength and muscle cross-sectional area in male sprinters and distance runners. Eur J Appl Physiol 50:309–318
Moritani T, de Vries HA (1979) Neural factors versus hypertrophy in the time course of muscle strength gain. Am J Phys Med 58:115–130
Ryushi T, Fukunaga T (1986) Influence of muscle fibre composition and muscle cross-sectional area on maximal isometric strength. J Phys Fitness Japan 35:168–174
Sale DG, McDougall JD, Upton ARM, McComas AJ (1983) Effect of strength training upon motoneuron excitability in man. Med Sci Sports Exerc 15:57–62
Saltin B, Gollnick PD (1983) Skeletal muscle adaptability: significance for metabolism and performance. In: Peachey LD, Adrian RH, Geiger SR (eds) Handbook of physiology, section 10. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, p 573
Schantz P, Billeter R, Henriksson J, Jansson E (1982) Training induced increase in myofibrillar ATPase intermediate fibres in human sleketal muscle. Muscle Nerve 5:628–636
Secher NH, Nygaard-Jensen E (1976) Glycogen depletion pattern in types I, IIA and IIB muscle fibres during maximal voluntary static and dynamic exercise. Act Physiol Scand Suppl 440
Selige V, Mácek M, Skranc O, Horák J, Piric J, Handzo P, Rous J, Jirka Z (1978) Work capacity of the Czechoslovakian population. Eur J Appl Physiol 39:155–164
Simoneau JA, Lortie G, Boulay MR, Thibault MC, Theriault G, Bouchard C (1985) Skeletal muscle histochemical and biochemical characteristics in sedentary male and female subjects. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 63:30–35
Tesch P, Karlsson J (1978) Isometric strength performance and muscle fibre type distribution in man. Acta Physiol Scand 103:47–51
Vogel JA, Patton JF, Mello RP, Daniels WL (1986) An analysis of aerobic capacity in a large United States population. J Appl Physiol 60:494–500
Wilmore JH (1974) Alterations in strength, body composition and anthropometric measurements consequent to a 10-week weight training program. Med Sci Sports 6:133–138
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Glenmark, B., Hedberg, G., Kaijser, L. et al. Muscle strength from aldolescence to adulthood — relationship to muscle fibre types. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 68, 9–19 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00599235
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00599235