Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) of human skeletal muscle at 1.5 Tesla: potential applications in exercise - a pilot study

This research study aimed to evaluate metabolites in human skeletal muscles pre- and post-exercise non-invasively via proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). The upper legs of 6 lightly active male subjects underwent imaging pre- and post-exercise via 1.5 T MRI (TR/TE = 3500ms/100ms, FOV = 20cm, slice thickness = 6mm) and ¹H-MRS (TR/TE = 2000ms/31ms, VOI = 20mm x 20mm x 35mm). The researchers measured the pre- and post-exercise metabolic readings (NAA, CHO, and Cr metabolites) for the vastus lateralis and semitendinosus muscles. A paired t-test was performed. In the vastus lateralis muscle, NAA, CHO, and Cr metabolites values decreased with no significant difference after the exercise. Similarly, in the semitendinosus muscle, NAA, CHO, and Cr metabolites values were also decreased with CHO (p<0.02) and Cr (p<0.01) showed the significant difference after the exercise. Evaluating human skeletal muscles via ¹H-MRS at 1.5 T is feasible

Quantification of muscle metabolites using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) for incomplete spinal cord injury patients: preliminary study

Introduction: This preliminary study aimed to non-invasively evaluate choline (CHO), creatine (Cr) and intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) metabolites in skeletal muscles at pre- and post-functional electrical stimulation (FES) exercise among incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (ASIA-AIS) D patients using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy or 1 H-MRS. Methods: These metabolites were measured from the vastus lateralis and semitendinosus muscles of three incomplete SCI ASIA-AIS D patients who completed the FES exercise and later underwent 3 Tesla (T) MRI (repetition time/echo time; TR/TE of 3500ms/100ms, field-ofview; FOV of 20cm, slice thickness of 6mm) and 1 H-MRS (TR/TE of 2000ms/31ms, voxel size of 20mm x 20mm x 35mm). Results: Out of those selected metabolites, only CHO value of vastus lateralis showed a statistically significant difference between pre- and post FES exercise 1 H-MRS scanning (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Therefore, this preliminary finding has postulated that the quantification of muscle metabolites using 1 H-MRS imaging could be used as a potential indicator in evaluating the muscle strength for incomplete SCI ASIA-AIS D patients after the completion of FES cycling exercise