Muscular Body Research Articles

Somatic Characteristics of Women-Wrestlers of Olympic Weight Classes

The aim of research was to study somatic features of highly qualified women-wrestlers of different weight classes.Material and methods. The study included results of somatic examinations of the strongest female wrestlers, members of the national teams of Russia and the immediate reserve (n=162). Anthropometric studies were carried out in accordance with the accepted standard at the Research Institute of Anthropology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. Total body sizes and proportions, body composition (based on anthropometry and bio-impedancemetry) and estimated body sizes were determined in athletes. 68 different parameters defining somatotypes of women-wrestlers were studied.Results. Standards for body composition of women-wrestlers have been developed considering the new approved weight classes (50, 53, 57, 62, 68 and 76 kg) in wrestling for the Olympic Games 2020. Skin-fat fold, adipose, muscular and bone mass parameters were studied. The body proportions of women-wrestlers were calculated. Significant differences in body composition parameters were determined using methods of anthropometry and bio-impedancemetry; this was especially pronounced for adipose and muscular body masses.Conclusion. Parameters of the proportion and body composition in women-wrestlers of different Olympic weight classes were presented for the first time. Significant differences in body composition were revealed depending on the weight class. Different methods (anthropometry and bioimpedancemetry) were used to determine body composition. Analysis of the types of body proportions in women-wrestlers of the Olympic weight classes demonstrated that it is advisable to consider certain anthropometric markers, such as a significant size of shoulder width, relatively short lower limbs, when selecting athletes for female freestyle wrestling

Effectiveness of strength training by free weights and modern weight equipment in muscular strength, measurements, and body components of bodybuilders

The research aims to reveal the following : - preparing a training program for muscular strength of bodybuilders by the use of free weights and modern weight equipment training . - Effectiveness of training of strength by the use of free weights on muscular strength aspects (maximum strength and strength durability) of arms , arms and chest ,back feet, and abdomen muscles endurance, and measurements and body components of bodybuilders between pre and post-tests of the first experimental group. - Finding the effectiveness of training of strength by the use of modern weight machines on muscular strength aspects (maximum strength and strength durability) of arms , arms and chest, feet ,back and abdomen muscles endurance, measurements and body components of bodybuilders between pre and post tests of the second experimental group. - Significance of differences between pre and post tests for the first and second groups on muscular strength aspects (maximum strength and strength durability) of arms , arms and chest, feet ,back and abdomen muscles endurance, measurements and body components of bodybuilders. The researchers used experimental approach as a suitable one for the research . The study was conducted on (50) players of body.A sample of 20 subjects was selected intentionally after primary tests and conducting some body measurements . The sample was divided randomly into two experimental groups (each of 10 subjects) controlling each other. The first experimental group executes the training program of free weights, the second experimental group executes the same training program but with the use of modern training weight machines .Consistency ,objectivity and verification factors have been conducted for the tests used in the research .Then, homogeneity of test sample and equivalence between the two groups of the research are done in the variable of (length, mass, time age and training age ) maximum strength (for arms muscles , arms and chest muscles ,back muscles ,legs muscles and abdomen muscles ). Experimental design of two groups that control each other has been used . Pre-tests for two groups have been conducted and then the adopted training program has been executed in the research. The first group executed the training program using free weights where as the second one executed it using modern weight machines . The procedure of the research included designing a training program and offering it to specialists .It also, included conducting a questionnaire and determining frequencies and amounts of weights as well as periods of rest . Pre-tests were also conducted for physical variations ( maximum strength and strength durability ,measurements , body components represented by perimeter ,skin curve thickness ,body density and percentage of fats , fat weight , and weight without fat and body mass).Then , the training program was executed, The training program took 9 weeks including 3 intermediate courses with 4 training sessions per week and a load of (1:2) in each intermediate session . Post-test then conducted after the execution of the program to calculate the differences between the two tests for each group separately, and comparing them in physical tests by using the same procedures adopted in tests and pre-tests. The researchers reached the following conclusions : - The training programs of free weights and modern weight machines made a positive development in muscular strength aspects (maximum strength and strength durability) of arms, arms and chest, feet ,back and abdomen muscle. The researchers recommened the following: - Training by using free weights is recommended for those who want to get muscular hugeness.

Civilized Muscles: Building a Powerful Body as a Vehicle for Social Status and Identity Formation

This paper explored the relationship between having a muscular body and identity formation in young men. Theoretically, it was built on evolutionary psychology; empirically, it drew on the author’s research into young men’s use of anabolic-androgenic steroids in gym settings. The questions I addressed were the following: First, why does the building of a muscular body through weight and strength training appeal to young men who have not yet found their place in the societal hierarchy? Second, what identity-related consequences does it have for them, when the size and posture of their body changes? First, the paper outlined some important aspects of the civilizing process and evolutionary psychology in order to offer an explanation on how and why brute force has been marginalized in today’s society, while the strong body continues to appeal to us. Then followed an explanation of the concept of identity used in this context. Hereafter, it was examined how building a more muscular body influences the young men and their relationship with their surroundings. Next, an underlying alternative understanding of health that may influence young men’s decision to use anabolic steroids was discussed. The article concluded with some remarks on the body’s impact on identity in a time where a strong build no longer has any practical importance in our lives.

Vertical vibration frequency and sitting posture effects on muscular loads and body balance

This study examined the effects of whole body vibration and sitting posture on muscular load, body balance and discomfort. An electric vibrator, a surface electromyography measurement system and a balance evaluation system were used in the experiment. Nine test conditions were studied consisting of three vertical frequencies (no vibration, 20 and 40 Hz) and three sitting postures (erect, bent-forward and twisted). Study results showed that whole body vibration had significant effects on the muscular loads in the torso muscles, body balance and perceived discomfort. Adverse effects generally increased with high-frequency vibration. No significant muscular load difference and balance difference were observed among sitting postures at any frequency. Significant discomfort differences between the erect and twisted postures were found with no vibration or at low frequency. Relevance to industryAttention should be paid to the negative effects of vibration transmission on the human body at worksites. The results from this study should be useful for whole body vibration risk assessment and control measures.

Indirect effects of negative body talk on eating, exercise, and expectations about steroids in a sample of at-risk adult men.

Given the lean and muscular male body ideal, men’s body concerns and negative body talk (i.e., fat talk and muscle talk) tend to focus on muscularity and fat. It remains to be seen how men’s negative body talk and appearance concerns relate to unhealthy eating and exercise symptoms and attitudes abo

The importance of motivational orientation towards the muscular ideal versus the stigmatised burdensome body in male body dissatisfaction

Internalisation of the muscular ideal is a vulnerability factor for body dissatisfaction in males. It is unclear, however, whether body dissatisfaction results from approach towards the muscular ideal versus fear of the stigmatised burdensome body. The current study sought to address this gap by assessing both approach and avoidance motivation regarding muscular and non-muscular bodies, respectively, and evaluating the unique associations between approach-avoidance tendencies and body dissatisfaction. Eighty-three male undergraduate students completed an implicit measure of approach-avoidance tendencies, the Stimulus Response Compatibility task, and a self-report measure of trait body dissatisfaction. Results revealed that participants were quicker to approach than to avoid muscular bodies; however, there were no differences in approach vs. avoidance tendencies regarding non-muscular bodies. Furthermore, in a multiple regression model comprising motivational bias scores regarding muscular and non-muscular bodies, only an approach bias towards muscular bodies predicted unique variance in body dissatisfaction. These findings are novel in showing an implicit approach motivation towards the muscular ideal in male undergraduates. Furthermore, in this population, motivational orientation towards the muscular ideal, versus the stigmatised burdensome body, seems to be more tightly associated with body dissatisfaction.

PT07.3: A Critical Assessment of CT as a Valid Means of Skeletal Muscle Analysis and Muscular Body Composition Analysis in Cancer Cachexia

PT07.3: A Critical Assessment of CT as a Valid Means of Skeletal Muscle Analysis and Muscular Body Composition Analysis in Cancer Cachexia

Epigenetic mechanism controls PDK4 gene activation before and after exercise therapy following artificial knee arthroplasty.

PurposeDNA methylation is thought to play a role in exercise-induced gene expression. We aimed to examine changes in muscular strength and body composition in elderly patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis before and after artificial knee arthroplasty and exercise therapy. We aimed to confirm the relationship between DNA methylation and body composition, using the methylation rate of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) gene that regulates skeletal muscle and fat metabolism.Patients and methodsPatients underwent artificial knee arthroplasty between April 2017 and June 2017 at Kansai Medical University Hospital. Six patients (seven knees) were included in the analysis (four males/two females; average age, 75.7 years; body mass index, 25.1 kg/m2). Body composition and knee extension muscle strength were measured before surgery and 5 months after surgery. Rehabilitation was performed for 3 months after surgery. In the remaining 2 months, patients performed resistance training and aerobic exercise using an ergometer for 20 mins, twice a week. A biopsy of the vastus medialis was taken during surgery and 5 months post-surgery. Biopsy samples were treated with bisulfite after DNA extraction, and DNA methylation rate was calculated.ResultsBody weight (P=0.046), total weight (P=0.027), and total fat mass (P=0.028) were significantly lower 5 months postoperatively than preoperatively. Five months post-surgery, the PDK4 gene was significantly more hypomethylated at eight sites in the CpG island, compared to pre-surgery. There was a significant correlation (r=0.88, P=0.02) between promoter region hypomethylation and weight loss. Total methylation rate and weight loss were significantly correlated (r=0.829, P=0.042). Total methylation rate and decrease in total fat mass showed a positive trending relationship (r=0.812, P=0.05).ConclusionRehabilitative exercise resulted in significant decreases in weight and body fat. Hypomethylation of the PDK4 gene promoter region signified the effect of postoperative management focus on exercise therapy on weight and fat loss.

Rambo im Märchenland - Zur Darstellung von Hypermaskulinität in Disneys BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) Zur Darstellung von Hypermaskulinität in Disneys BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)

Since the 1970s new images of masculinity gained visibility in the media. The figure of the muscular action hero – in the style of a ›Rambo‹ or ›Terminator‹ – is a prime example for these emerging depictions of a new kind of masculinity. Yvonne Tasker explores the complexities and ambivalences of this Spectacular Bodies in her book of the same name (1993). Analyzing these cinematic bodies as well as the popular discourse concerning them, Tasker studies the social anxieties provoked by these images. Around the time of Tasker’s research, a new kind of Disney villain appeared: the muscular hypermasculine strongman who differs substantially from the tall, slender villains usually populating Disney films. This article places Beauty and the Beast’s (1991) Gaston, the first of this hypermasculine villains, in the context of the popular 1980s ›Rambo‹-discourse. As Rambo in fairy tale land, the parody of the parody, the image of Gaston plays with all the ambiguities and anxieties provoked by the extremely muscular male body. Gaston showcases narcissism, bodily excess and an instable articulation of masculinity consequently calling into question the idea of a fixed gender or sex. Celebrated and fetishized as well as feared and problematized, this representation of hypermasculinity is multiple in its pleasures and tensions.

The Effects of a Multi-Ingredient Performance Supplement Combined with Resistance Training on Exercise Volume, Muscular Strength, and Body Composition.

The effects of a multi-ingredient performance supplement (MIPS) incorporating a mixture of branched chain amino acids, beta-alanine, glutamine, creatine, and piperine on resistance training (RT)-induced adaptations remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of this investigational MIPS during six weeks of RT on performance and body composition. Thirty recreationally trained males and females were recruited for this pair-matched, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation. Subjects were assigned to consume either an experimental MIPS (MIPS) (n = 15) or a placebo (PLA) (n = 15) concurrently with a six-week periodized RT program. Body composition, one-repetition maximum (1RM), and muscular power were assessed at pre- and post-training. Weekly relative volume load was compared between groups. The MIPS and PLA groups demonstrated a significant increase in total body mass (MIPS = +2.9 ± 1.3%; PLA = +2.5 ± 1.7%) and lean mass (MIPS = +5.0 ± 2.1%; PLA = +3.1 ± 1.9%) (p < 0.001) with no changes in fat mass. There were no group × time interactions for any of the body composition measures. Both groups demonstrated similar improvements in maximum strength for the back squat, bench press, and deadlift as well as lower body power from pre- to post-training (p < 0.001). Within the limitations of the current investigation, results failed to demonstrate the benefits of the experimental MIPS for muscular strength and body composition across six weeks of RT compared to PLA.

The Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Occupational Stress of Female Nurses: A Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective. This work sought to determine the effectiveness of an aerobic exercise program on the occupational stress of nurses.Methods. Prevention-type controlled clinical trial carried out with the participation of 60 nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Randomly, the nurses were assigned to the experimental group or to the control group. The intervention consisted in an aerobic exercise program lasting three months with three weekly sessions one hour each. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) questionnaire measured occupational stress with 35 questions, each with five Likert-type response options, which can have a maximum score of 175 points; higher scores meant lower levels of occupational stress. The HSE was evaluated during three moments: upon registering, after finishing the exercise program (week 8), and two months after terminating the intervention (week 16).Results. The level of occupational stress was the same in the experimental and control groups during registration (86.2 vs. 86.3). Upon finishing the aerobic exercise program (week 8), the experimental group showed a higher score than the control group (119.7 vs. 86.2, p<0.01), with this score diminishing after two months of having ended the intervention (91.4 vs. 85.8, p=0.061).Conclusion. The aerobic exercise program was associated to decreased work stress of nurses in the experimental group compared to the control group at eight weeks, but this difference did not persist when the experimental group did not continue with the program.

Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Fitness Program for Enhancing Muscular Fitness and Body Composition

Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Fitness Program for Enhancing Muscular Fitness and Body Composition

Psychological cycle shifts redux: Revisiting a preregistered study examining preferences for muscularity

Abstract Junger et al. (2018) conducted a preregistered study examining whether women particularly prefer muscular bodies when conceptive in their cycles. Despite an impressive number of participants and within-woman observations, they found no evidence for a preference shift; rather, they claimed, conceptive women find all male bodies more attractive. We preregistered a separate study very similar to Junger et al.'s, with specified analyses focusing on shifts associated with joint additive effects of log-transformed estradiol and progesterone (ln(E/P)). We performed similar analyses on Junger et al.'s publicly available data, using an empirically vetted (though not preregistered) measure of Strength/Muscularity. They revealed a ln(E/P) × Strength/Muscularity × Relationship Status interaction effect on sexual attraction. The ln(E/P) × Strength/Muscularity interaction ran in opposite directions for partnered and single women effects largely driven by P levels. Junger et al.'s null conclusions and claims about general preferences are premature. We offer several observations regarding preregistered analyses.

Male body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, body composition, and attentional bias to body stimuli evaluated using visual search

This study investigated the relationship between body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and attentional bias to images of male bodies using a compound visual search task. Sixty-three male participants searched for a horizontal or vertical target line among tilted lines. A separate male body image was presented within proximity to each line. Overall, search times were faster when the target line was paired with a muscular or obese body and distractor lines were paired with bodies of average muscularity and body fat ( congruent trials) than on neutral trials, in which only average muscularity and body fat images were shown. Attentional bias for muscular bodies was correlated with muscle dissatisfaction, eating restraint, and shape concern, and attentional bias for obese bodies was correlated with eating restraint. For incongruent trials, in which a single muscular or obese body was paired with a distractor line, search times were indistinguishable from neutral trials. Unexpectedly, we found a negative association between search times and both body fat dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms in conditions where obese bodies were paired with distracting stimuli. This result implicates a potential role for attentional filtering and/or avoidance of obese bodies in predicting body fat dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptomology.

Effect of Awris Traditional Dances on Health-Related Physical Fitness Traits among High School Students in Ethiopia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Awris traditional dance Tigray regional state on health related physical fitness traits among high school students. To achieve the purpose of this study, 40 high school students were selected randomly. And their age ranged between 15 and 17 years. The selected participants were categorized into experimental and control group with twenty (n=20) subjects in each. The experimental group performed traditional dances for a period of 16 weeks three days per week whereas participants in the control group were informed to follow their usual daily activity. All participants were tested on selected criterion measures on muscular strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and body composition prior to and after the 16 weeks of the training period. The data pertaining to the variables in this study were statistically examined by using SPSS statistical software version 25. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were found in order to get the basic idea of the data distribution. Independent t- test was employed for finding whether there was any statistically significant pre-test to post-test mean differences in their respective variables of each group. Level of significant was set at 0.05. Following the 16-weeks traditional dance training, significant change was observed on muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance, but there was no significant improvement in flexibility and body composition as compare the experimental groups with the control group. Therefore it can be concluded that Awris traditional dance training program can notably improve muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance of high school students.

Bodybuilding and Fitness Doping in Transition. Historical Transformations and Contemporary Challenges

This article describes and analyses the historical development of gym and fitness culture in general and doping use in this context in particular. Theoretically, the paper utilises the concept of subculture and explores how a subcultural response can be used analytically in relation to processes of cultural normalisation as well as marginalisation. The focus is on historical and symbolic negotiations that have occurred over time, between perceived expressions of extreme body cultures and sociocultural transformations in society—with a perspective on fitness doping in public discourse. Several distinct phases in the history of fitness doping are identified. First, there is an introductory phase in the mid-1950s, in which there is an optimism connected to modernity and thoughts about scientifically-engineered bodies. Secondly, in the 1960s and 70s, a distinct bodybuilding subculture is developed, cultivating previously unseen muscular male bodies. Thirdly, there is a critical phase in the 1980s and 90s, where drugs gradually become morally objectionable. The fourth phase, the fitness revolution, can be seen as a transformational phase in gym culture. The massive bodybuilding body is replaced with the well-defined and moderately muscular fitness body, but at the same time there are strong commercialised values which contribute to the development of a new doping market. Finally, it is possible to speculate on the development of a fifth phase, in which fitness doping is increasingly being filtered into mainstream gym and fitness culture, influencing the fitness doping demography.

The effects of Pilates vs. aerobic training on cardiorespiratory fitness, isokinetic muscular strength, body composition, and functional tasks outcomes for individuals who are overweight/obese: a clinical trial

BackgroundSome studies have been conducted to verify the effects of Pilates for individuals who are obese, but conclusive results are not yet available due to methodological concerns. The present study aims to verify and compare the effects of Pilates and aerobic training on cardiorespiratory fitness, isokinetic muscular strength, body composition, and functional task outcomes for individuals who are overweight/obese.MethodsOf the sixty participants, seventeen were allocated to the control group, since the intervention protocol (Pilates or walking sessions) was during their working hours. The remaining 44 participants were randomly allocated to one of two experimental groups (Pilates (n = 22)) or aerobic groups (n = 21).The Pilates and aerobic groups attended 60-min exercise sessions, three times per week for 8 weeks. The aerobic group performed walking training at a heart rate corresponding to the ventilatory threshold. The Pilates group performed exercises on the floor, resistance apparatus, and 1-kg dumbbells. The control group received no intervention. All volunteers were evaluated at the beginning and end of the intervention. The following assessments were conducted: food intake, cardiorespiratory maximal treadmill test, isokinetic strength testing, body composition and anthropometry, abdominal endurance test, trunk extensor endurance test, flexibility test and functional (stair and chair) tests.ResultsThere was no significant difference pre- and post-intervention in calorie intake [F(2, 57) = 0.02744, p = 0.97)]. A significant improvement in oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold (p = 0.001; d = 0.60), respiratory compensation point (p = 0.01; d = 0.48), and maximum effort (p = 0.01; d = 0.33) was observed only in the Pilates group. Isokinetic peak torque for knee flexor and extensor muscles did not change for any groups. Lean mass (p = 0.0005; d = 0.19) and fat mass (p = 0.0001; d = 0.19) improved only in the Pilates group. Waist and hip circumference measurements decreased similarly in both experimental groups. Abdominal test performance improved more in the Pilates group (p = 0.0001; d = 1.69) than in the aerobic group (p = 0.003; d = 0.95). Trunk extensor endurance and flexibility improved only in the Pilates group (p = 0.0003; d = 0.80 and p = 0.0001; d = 0.41, respectively). The Pilates group showed greater improvement on the chair and stair tests (p = 0.0001; d = 1.48 and p = 0.003; d = 0.78, respectively) than the aerobic group (p = 0.005; d = 0.75 and p = 0.05; d = 0.41, respectively).ConclusionPilates can be used as an alternative physical training method for individuals who are overweight or obese since it promotes significant effects in cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and performance on functional tests.

Palaeoecological and genetic evidence for Neanderthal power locomotion as an adaptation to a woodland environment

The prevailing explanation for Neanderthal body form is the cold (glacial) adaptation hypothesis. However, palaeoecological associations appear to indicate a less cold woodland environment. Under such conditions, encounter and ambush (rather than pursuit) hunting – and thus muscular power and sprint (rather than endurance) capacity – would have been favoured. We hypothesise that the highly muscular Neanderthal body form reflects an adaptation to hunting conditions rather than cold, and here both review the palaeoecological evidence that they inhabited a mainly woodland environment, and present preliminary genetic analyses in support of this new hypothesis.

Effects of Isokinetic Training on Trunk Muscle Fitness and Body Composition in World-Class Canoe Sprinters.

In canoe sprint, the trunk muscles play an important role in stabilizing the body in an unstable environment (boat) and in generating forces that are transmitted through the shoulders and arms to the paddle for propulsion of the boat. Isokinetic training is well suited for sports in which propulsion is generated through water resistance due to similarities in the resistive mode. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of isokinetic training in addition to regular sport-specific training on trunk muscular fitness and body composition in world-class canoeists and to evaluate associations between trunk muscular fitness and canoe-specific performance. Nine world-class canoeists (age: 25.6 ± 3.3 years; three females; four world champions; three Olympic gold medalists) participated in an 8-week progressive isokinetic training with a 6-week block “muscle hypertrophy” and a 2-week block “muscle power.” Pre- and post-tests included the assessment of peak isokinetic torque at different velocities in concentric (30 and 140°s-1) and eccentric (30 and 90°s-1) mode, trunk muscle endurance, and body composition (e.g., body fat, segmental lean mass). Additionally, peak paddle force was assessed in the flume at a water current of 3.4 m/s. Significant pre-to-post increases were found for peak torque of the trunk rotators at 30°s-1 (p = 0.047; d = 0.4) and 140°s-1 (p = 0.014; d = 0.7) in concentric mode. No significant pre-to-post changes were detected for eccentric trunk rotator torque, trunk muscle endurance, and body composition (p > 0.148). Significant medium-to-large correlations were observed between concentric trunk rotator torque but not trunk muscle endurance and peak paddle force, irrespective of the isokinetic movement velocity (all r ≥ 0.886; p ≤ 0.008). Isokinetic trunk rotator training is effective in improving concentric trunk rotator strength in world-class canoe sprinters. It is recommended to progressively increase angular velocity from 30°s-1 to 140°s-1 over the course of the training period.

Relative Strength, but Not Absolute Muscle Strength, Is Higher in Exercising Compared to Non-Exercising Older Women.

Exercise has been suggested for older adults. However, there is no consensus whether exercising older adults present better strength levels and body composition indexes compared with inactive counterparts. Our aim was to compare absolute and relative isokinetic muscular knee strength and body composition between exercising and non-exercising older women. Exercising (n = 20) and non-exercising (n = 21) groups were evaluated for body mass index (BMI), body composition, and isokinetic muscular knee strength. BMI (p = 0.005), total body mass (p = 0.01), fat mass (p = 0.01), and fat mass percentage (p = 0.01) were higher in non-exercising women, and the lean mass percentage was lower in the non-exercising group (p = 0.01). Isokinetic extensor and flexor knee muscle strength for dominant limbs presented higher peak torque values when corrected for total body mass (Nm·kg−1) in the exercising group (p < 0.05). Exercising older women presented better body composition and higher strength relative to total body mass, but not maximum absolute strength.