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Intramuscular adipose tissue and central activation in older adults
Author(s) -
Yoshida Yuri,
Marcus Robin L.,
Lastayo Paul C.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.23506
Subject(s) - adipose tissue , medicine , lean tissue , skeletal muscle , anatomy , physical medicine and rehabilitation , endocrinology
Intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is a potential contributor to declining force production and may be related to impaired central activation; therefore, the purpose of this report is to describe IMAT composition and its association with central activation in older adults. The central activation ratio (CAR) of the knee extensors was assessed using a superimposition technique in 15 older adults (29 legs) along with the cross‐sectional area of IMAT and lean tissue. Results: IMAT and CAR are inversely related in older adults ( r = −0.51, P = 0.005), and many subjects with high IMAT have deficits in central activation, whereas those with low IMAT have normal central activation. Conclusions: These novel findings may assist in unraveling why muscle force production and lean tissue cross‐sectional area are not strongly linked, as the ability to centrally activate muscle appears to be unrelated to lean muscle area and may be dependent in part on IMAT levels. Muscle Nerve 46:813–816, 2012