Nerve Conduction and Surface Electromyography of Physically Active Healthy Medical Undergraduates of Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Nerve conduction studies and surface EMG provides a comprehensive evaluation of nerve, muscle or neuromuscular impairment. However, such studies are mostly done on professional athletes. Methods: Healthy physically active (n=17) and non-active (n=17) medical undergraduate students from B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Nepal were enrolled in the study using convenient sampling technique. Anthropometric and motor nerve conduction parameters of common peroneal nerves and surface EMG of gastrocnemius muscle were recorded using standard technique in Neurophysiology Lab II, BPKIHS. Descriptive analysis was done. Unpaired t-test was applied for comparing the nerve conduction and surface EMG variables between the groups. Pearson’s correlation was applied between anthropometric and nerve conduction & surface EMG variables. Objectives: To compare nerve conduction parameters of common peroneal nerve and surface EMG of Gastrocnemius muscle between active and non-active individuals. Results: The distal and proximal amplitudes of left common peroneal nerve were significantly higher in physically active compared to non-active individuals (LCPDA-p value: 0.026, LCPPA-p value: 0.009). Anthropometric parameters showed significant correlation with nerve conduction parameters. Conclusion: Nerve conduction parameters are affected in the physically active individuals. Anthropometric variables showed significant relation with the nerve conduction parameters. Keywords: Nerve Conduction Velocity, Surface Electromyography, Peroneal Nerve, Gastrocnemius.