A Comparison of Quadriceps -to-Hamstrings Ratios During Isokinetic Testing, Cutting, and Drop Landings in Male Soccer Players

Collegiate soccer is not an unusual place to suffer a knee injury. The sport has many dynamic movements, such as cutting, jumping and shooting. Many professionals use quadriceps-to-hamstring (Q/H) ratios as a tool to determine when an injured player can to return to game play or use the ratio to investigate how predisposed a certain player is to sustaining a knee injury. However, many of these ratios are taken in isokinetic testing in a controlled environment and to our knowledge it is unknown if these ratios are similar to those measured during dynamic activity. Therefore, this study investigated if there was a relationship between Q/H ratios measured during isokinetic testing and drop landings and cutting. Fifteen Division 2 collegiate male soccer players (age: 19.79 ± 1.25 years; height: 176.74 ± 6.22 cm; weight: 77.24 ± 11.01 kg). Wearing Athlos© compression shorts participants performed isokinetic testing, drop landings and cutting drills while muscle activity was measured. A significant difference was found between the bilateral Q/H ratios during the drop landings (p = 0.04; h = 0.49). There were no significant bilateral differences measured during the cutting drills in either direction and isokinetic testing (p \u3e 0.05). Additionally, there was so significant relationship in Q/H ratios between isokinetic testing and the dynamic movements (p\u3e 0.05). This suggests that clinicians should use Q/H ratios during dynamic movements rather than isokinetic testing in a controlled environment to better assess player risk disposition and return-to-play criteria

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

EMG Readings in Similar Body Weight and Cable Resistance Exercise

Abstract: The field of exercise training has infinite possibilities by different modes of exercise, from a variety of handle types to the type of weight being moved. However, all of these modes strive towards the overall goal of muscle mass increase while maintaining joint longevity. Studies have been conducted to contrast at the varying types of equipment used and the equipment’s effect on muscle contraction and growth. Very little research has been done looking at the type of weight being moved and the resultant electrical impulses sent to the muscle fibers to elicit a contraction. This study attempts to look into this undetermined topic by focusing on: pure body weighted exercise as a pullup and cable resistance exercise as a seated pulldown. When all variables are kept constant across these types of exercise, including grip, angle of pull and weight moved, this study will definitively show which style of exercise produces a higher amount of electrical signaling to the muscle fiber, specifically, in the latissimus dorsi and biceps brachii. Quantified by statistical tests and electromyography, the results will show whether body weighted exercise or cable resistance exercise is more efficient in producing muscle hypertrophy and eventual muscle growth