Muscle Fiber Size in Healthy Children and Adults in Relation to Sex and Fiber Types

Overview

Journal Muscle Nerve

Date 2020 Dec 21

PMID 33347630

Citations 16

Authors

Mona E Esbjornsson

Monica S Dahlstrom

Jan W Gierup

Eva Ch Jansson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: In adult males, cross-sectional area (CSA) for type II muscle fibers is generally larger than for type I fibers. In this cross-sectional study the aim was to compare sex-related CSAs of various muscle fiber types during childhood-to-adulthood transition.

Methods: Percutaneous biopsy samples were obtained from vastus lateralis in 10-y-old children (10 males and 5 females) and in young adults (9 males and 7 females). Fiber types were classified by myofibrillar ATPase and CSAs from NADH-dehydrogenase staining.

Results: Type IIA were larger than type I fibers in adult males, but not in adult females or children (age x sex x fiber type, P < .002). When including all participants, body weight and sex explained 78% of the variation in type IIA CSA but only body weight contributed for type I.

Conclusions: Sex-specific patterns in CSA of the muscle fiber types appears to develop during the transition from childhood to adulthood.

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