Characteristics of myosin profile in human vastus lateralis muscle in relation to training background.

Twenty-four male volunteers (mean +/- SD: age 25.4+/-5.8 years, height 178.6+/-5.5 cm, body mass 72.1+/-7.7 kg) of different training background were investigated and classified into three groups according to their physical activity and sport discipline: untrained students (group A), national and sub-national level endurance athletes (group B, 7.8+/-2.9 years of specialised training) and sprint-power athletes (group C, 12.8+/-8.7 years of specialised training). Muscle biopsies of vastus lateralis were analysed histochemically for mATPase and SDH activities, immunohistochemically for fast and slow myosin, and electrophoretically followed by Western immunoblotting for myosin heavy chain (MyHC) composition. Significant differences (

Capillary density and capillary-to-fibre ratio in vastus lateralis muscle of untrained and trained men

Muscle fibre profile area (Af), volume density (V<sub>v</sub>), capillary-to-fibre ratio (CF) and number of capillaries per fibre square millimetre (CD) were determined from needle biopsies of vastus lateralis of twenty-four male volunteers (mean ± SD: age 25.4±5.8 years, height 178.6±5.5 cm, body mass 72.1±7.7 kg) of different training background. Seven subjects were untrained students (group A), nine were national and sub-national level endurance athletes (group B) with the background of 7.8±2.9 years of specialised training, and eight subjects were sprint-power athletes (group C) with 12.8±8.7 years of specialised training. Muscle biopsies of <i>vastus lateralis</i> were analysed histochemically for mATPase. Capillaries were visualized and counted using CD31 antibodies against endothelial cells. There were significant differences in the V<sub>v</sub> of type I and type II muscle fibres in both trained groups, B (51.8%; 25.6%) and C (50.5%; 26.4%). However, in untrained group A that was treated as a reference group, the difference between V<sub>v</sub> of type I and type II fibres was less prominent, nevertheless statistically significant (42.1%; 35.1%). There was also a significant difference in CF: 1.9 in group A and 2.1 in groups B and C. The number of capillaries per mm<sup>2</sup> (CD) was 245 (group A), 308 (group B) and 325 (group C). Significant differences (P<0.05) in CF and CD, were found only between group A (1.9; 245) and both groups of trained men, B and C (2.1; 308 and 325). However, endurance athletes (group B), such as long-distance runners, cyclists and cross country skiers, did not differ from the athletes representing short term, high power output sports (group C) such as ice hockey, karate, ski-jumping, volleyball, soccer and modern dance

Characteristics of myosin profile in human vastus lateralis muscle in relation to training background.

Twenty-four male volunteers (mean +/- SD: age 25.4+/-5.8 years, height 178.6+/-5.5 cm, body mass 72.1+/-7.7 kg) of different training background were investigated and classified into three groups according to their physical activity and sport discipline: untrained students (group A), national and sub-national level endurance athletes (group B, 7.8+/-2.9 years of specialised training) and sprint-power athletes (group C, 12.8+/-8.7 years of specialised training). Muscle biopsies of vastus lateralis were analysed histochemically for mATPase and SDH activities, immunohistochemically for fast and slow myosin, and electrophoretically followed by Western immunoblotting for myosin heavy chain (MyHC) composition. Significant differences (P<0.05) regarding composition of muscle fibre types and myosin heavy chains were found only between groups A (41.7+/-1.6% of MyHCI, 40.8+/-4.0% of MyHCIIA and 17.5+/-4.0% of MyHCIIX) and B (64.3+/-0.8% of MyHCI, 34.0+/-1.4% of MyHCIIA and 1.7+/-1.4% of MyHCIIX) and groups A and C (59.6+/-1.6% of MyHCI, 37.2+/-1.3% of MyHCIIA and 3.2+/-1.3% of MyHCIIX). Unexpectedly, endurance athletes (group B) such as long-distance runners, cyclists and cross country skiers, did not differ from the athletes representing short term, high power output sports (group C) such as ice hockey, karate, ski-jumping, volleyball, soccer and modern dance. Furthermore, the relative amount of the fastest MyHCIIX isoform in vastus lateralis muscle was significantly lower in the athletes from group C than in students (group A). We conclude that the myosin profile in the athletes belonging to group C was unfavourable for their sport disciplines. This could be the reason why those athletes did not reach international level despite of several years of training