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Muscle thickness correlates to muscle cross‐sectional area in the assessment of strength training‐induced hypertrophy
Author(s) -
Franchi M. V.,
Longo S.,
Mallinson J.,
Quinlan J. I.,
Taylor T.,
Greenhaff P. L.,
Narici M. V.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/sms.12961
Subject(s) - medicine , ultrasound , muscle hypertrophy , nuclear medicine , cross sectional study , pathology , radiology
Muscle thickness ( MT ) measured by ultrasound has been used to estimate cross‐sectional area (measured by CT and MRI ) at a single time point. We tested whether MT could be used as a valid marker of MRI determined muscle anatomical cross‐sectional area ( ACSA ) and volume changes following resistance training ( RT ). Nine healthy, young, male volunteers (24 ± 2 y.o., BMI 24.1 ± 2.8 kg/m 2 ) had vastus lateralis ( VL ) muscle volume ( VOL ) and ACSA mid (at 50% of femur length, FL ) assessed by MRI , and VL MT measured by ultrasound at 50% FL . Measurements were taken at baseline and after 12 weeks of isokinetic RT . Differences between baseline and post‐training were assessed by Student's paired t test. The relationships between MRI and ultrasound measurements were tested by Pearson's correlation. After RT , MT increased by 7.5 ± 6.1% ( P < .001), ACSA mid by 5.2 ± 5% ( P < .001), and VOL by 5.0 ± 6.9% ( P < .05) (values: means ± SD). Positive correlations were found, at baseline and 12 weeks, between MT and ACSA mid ( r = .82, P < .001 and r = .73, P < .001, respectively), and between MT and VOL ( r = .76, P < .001 and r = .73, P < .001, respectively). The % change in MT with training was correlated with % change in ACSA mid ( r = .69, P < .01), but not % change in VOL ( r = .33, P > .05). These data support evidence that MT is a reliable index of muscle ACSA mid and VOL at a single time point. MT changes following RT are associated with parallel changes in muscle ACSA mid but not with the changes in VOL , highlighting the impact of RT on regional hypertrophy.