Muscle and Liver Carbohydrates: Response to Military Task Performance by Women & Men

Abstract

Abstract : During this first year we have made progress in three areas: (1) design of the exercise ergometer and development of a reliable experimental protocol, (2) validation of MRI as a viable method of measuring differential muscle recruitment in a local system (the lower leg with plantar flexion), and (3) development and implementation of a total body MR imaging protocol that enables the identification & differentiation of muscles that are recruited by our experimental protocol. In area 1 we have successfully implemented an experimental protocol that is reliable in a male population, we have not yet tested our protocol in a female population. We may need to reduce the mass of our weighted box in both populations to ensure that the female subjects can complete the task. In area 2 we demonstrated that MRI provides a viable tool to assess differential muscle recruitment patterns. In area 3 we have developed and implemented an echo planar total body MR imaging protocol that reliably measures total body muscle recruitment during our experimental protocol. We have successfully completed a study with a male subject and have been able to identify differential muscle recruitment patterns. Although we were not able to study the number of subjects that we had initially hoped to study, the experimental protocol and MR techniques are ready. With the addition of a staff member to recruit subjects, we are currently screening subjects and preparing them for studies on a weekly to bi-weekly basis.