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Inhomogeneous architectural changes of the quadriceps femoris induced by resistance training

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to clarify whether resistance training-induced changes in muscle architecture are homogeneous among the quadriceps and over different regions within each muscle.

Methods

Eleven recreationally active men (27 ± 2 years) completed a 12-week resistance training program for knee extensors. Before and after the intervention, muscle thicknesses, fascicle lengths, and pennation angles of the four muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, rectus femoris) in several regions (2–4 regions per each muscle) were measured using ultrasonography. Anatomical cross-sectional areas (ACSAs) at the same positions as the ultrasound measurements were determined from magnetic resonance images.

Results

Relative increases in the ACSA, muscle thickness, and pennation angle of the rectus femoris were significantly greater than those of the vasti. Relative increases in the ACSAs of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris were significantly greater in the distal than in the proximal region, and those in the muscle thickness and pennation angle of the vastus intermedius were significantly greater in the medial than in the lateral region. Fascicle lengths did not change in any muscles. The interrelations between muscle thickness and pennation angle remained unchanged after the intervention, with a significant association between the relative changes of the two variables.

Conclusion

The current results indicate that (1) hypertrophy of the quadriceps femoris is associated with a proportional increase in pennation angle but not necessarily in fascicle length, and (2) training-induced changes in muscle size and pennation do not evenly occur among the quadriceps, along or across a muscle.

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Abbreviations

ACSA:

Anatomical cross-sectional area

VL:

Vastus lateralis

VM:

Vastus medialis

VI:

Vastus intermedius

RF:

Rectus femoris

SD:

Standard deviation

1RM:

One repetition maximum

CV:

Coefficient of variation

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

MR:

Magnetic resonance

MVCKE :

Maximal voluntary isometric knee extension

MANOVA:

Multiple analysis of variance

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B, #21700630 to T.W.) and for Scientific Research (#24300209) from Japan Society for Promotion of Science and by the Waseda University Global Centre of Excellence (GCOE) program, “Sport Sciences for the Promotion for Active Life”.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan

    Ryoichi Ema

  2. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan

    Ryoichi Ema

  3. Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan

    Taku Wakahara, Naokazu Miyamoto & Yasuo Kawakami

  4. Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Doshisha University, 1-3 Tatara Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan

    Taku Wakahara

  5. National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, 1 Shiromizu, Kanoya, Kagoshima, 891-2311, Japan

    Naokazu Miyamoto & Hiroaki Kanehisa

Authors
  1. Ryoichi Ema
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  2. Taku Wakahara
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  3. Naokazu Miyamoto
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  4. Hiroaki Kanehisa
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  5. Yasuo Kawakami
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yasuo Kawakami.

Additional information

Communicated by Michael Lindinger.

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Ema, R., Wakahara, T., Miyamoto, N. et al. Inhomogeneous architectural changes of the quadriceps femoris induced by resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 2691–2703 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2700-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2700-1

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