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Children have a reduced maximal voluntary activation level of the adductor pollicis muscle compared to adults

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Abstract

Purpose

The role of nervous factors in the muscle strength difference between children and adults is debated, and the level of physical activity may confound this comparison. The purpose of this study was thus to compare, between children and adults, the maximal voluntary activation level (MVA) of the adductor pollicis (AP) muscle, which is weakly influenced by the level of physical activity.

Methods

Thirteen boys (11.6 ± 0.1 years) and eight men (25.6 ± 1.5 years) were involved in this study. Neuromuscular function assessment included the evaluation of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force and of the MVA from peripheral magnetic stimulations of the ulnar nerve. The cross-sectional area of the AP muscle was determined with ultrasonography and used to calculate the specific force. A theoretical value of specific force, extrapolated for a full MVA, was finally computed (specific force@100 % MVA).

Results

MVC force (66.8 ± 6.2 vs. 111.0 ± 4.5 N, respectively; P < 0.001) and MVA (85.0 ± 2.7 vs. 94.8 ± 1.4 %, respectively; P < 0.05) were significantly lower in children compared to adults. The specific force was lower in children compared to adults (46.8 ± 3.6 vs. 56.9 ± 2.5 N/cm2, respectively; P < 0.05), but the specific force@100 % MVA did not differ between groups.

Conclusion

The results suggest that on an untrained muscle such as the AP muscle, the reduced ability of children to voluntarily activate their muscle could partly account for the difference of muscle strength between children and adults.

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Abbreviations

AP:

Adductor pollicis

APHV:

Age from peak height velocity

CSA:

Cross-sectional area

SP:

Statistical power

MVA:

Maximal voluntary activation level

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

MNS:

Magnetic nerve stimulation

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Conflict of interest

No funding was received for this research project. The authors of this article do not have any conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Clermont Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire des Adaptations Métaboliques à l’Exercice en Conditions Physiologiques et Pathologiques (AME2P, EA 3533), BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    V. Martin, V. Kluka, S. Garcia Vicencio & S. Ratel

  2. Centre de formation, ASM Rugby, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    F. Maso

Authors
  1. V. Martin
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  2. V. Kluka
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  3. S. Garcia Vicencio
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  4. F. Maso
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  5. S. Ratel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Martin.

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Communicated by Fausto Baldissera.

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Martin, V., Kluka, V., Garcia Vicencio, S. et al. Children have a reduced maximal voluntary activation level of the adductor pollicis muscle compared to adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1485–1491 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3132-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3132-x

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