Muscular Body Research Articles

FROM SOCIAL MEDIA USE TO WILLINGNESS FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY IN CHINESE INDIVIDUALS: UNRAVELING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISM

Social media has become increasingly significant in life with its convenience and communicative vividness, shaping users' perceptions and reinforcing social norms, including socially accepted beauty standards. In China, the development of domestic social platforms has fueled a desire for achieving thin or muscular ideal bodies. Bariatric surgery, a procedure on the digestive system with substantial post-surgical weight loss, enjoys great popularity for individuals concerned about weight and shape. Given that prior studies have primarily explored the relationship between social media use and willingness for bariatric surgery in Western settings, a notable gap exists regarding this association in the Chinese context. Drawing upon social learning theory and social comparison theory, the current study aims to pioneer an investigation into social media’s impact on Chinese individuals' willingness for bariatric surgery and its underlying mechanisms. Unlike previous studies that evaluated social media use by duration, the researcher innovatively assesses social media use from multiple dimensions: intensity, appearance-related preoccupation, and photo-based activities. Using a quantitative approach, a cross-sectional survey involving 385 Chinese participants who use Chinese social platforms and have body weight or shape concerns was conducted. Results reveal a positive relationship between social media use intensity and photo-based activities with willingness for bariatric surgery, while the effect of appearance-related preoccupation is insignificant. Psychological mechanisms include upward social comparison, body dissatisfaction, body ideal internalization, and low self-esteem. While this study primarily focuses on direct relationships, it leaves room for future exploration of mediation and moderation. These findings address the literature gap on how Chinese individuals perceive and contemplate bariatric surgery under social media influence. The study suggests preventive interventions through promoting rational social media use to alleviate body image concerns and disseminating accurate information about bariatric surgery.

Flex Friday: A content analysis of men’s fitspiration on Instagram

Fitspiration is a social media trend that utilizes images and quotes to promote and inspire physical health and fitness. However, research has shown Fitspiration reinforces the rigidly defined appearance ideal, particularly in women, which can lead to negative body image. There remains limited understanding of the characteristics and impact of men’s Fitspiration. The purpose of this content analysis was to investigate the nature, presentation, and text-based messages of male-focused Fitspiration on Instagram. Hashtags (#) were used to collect 1,000 random images from Instagram. Content codes for images included body type, objectification, activities, and messages conveyed. Results showed most images consisted of men accentuating their highly muscular upper bodies with low body fat, consistent with the male appearance ideal. Also, men were often shown engaging in activities irrelevant to health or fitness (i.e., passive modeling) that emphasized their physical appearance. Consistent with research examining female-focused Fitspiration, male-focused Fitspiration reinforces a glamorized appearance ideal with low focus on health and fitness.

TRAITEMENT CHIRURGICAL DES RUPTURES TRAUMATIQUES DU DIAPHRAGME : A PROPOS DE 13 CAS A L’HOPITAL DU MALI

Introduction: traumatic rupture of the diaphragm corresponds to a traumatic breach of the diaphragm which can be complicated by an intrathoracic herniation of the abdominal viscera. Objective: describe the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of diaphragmatic ruptures. Patients and Method: We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study from March 2012 to September 2020, carried out in the thoracic surgery department at the Mali Hospital. Patients with traumatic rupture of the diaphragm were included. The diagnostic, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects were analyzed. Results: we collected thirteen (13) cases with an average age of 28.8 years with an extreme of 3 and 59 years. There were 10 men and 3 women. The etiology was road accidents in 6 cases. CT made it possible to make the diagnosis in 10 patients. A thoracotomy was performed in 12 patients. The most frequent herniated organs were the stomach in 11 cases and the colon in 6 cases. The average size of the rupture was 7.3 cm and was located at the level of the muscular body in 8 cases. Associated lesions were found in 9 cases. Treatment consisted of reduction of the herniated organs, suture of the breach and repair of associated lesions. The evolution was favorable in 12 cases. A case of death was recorded. Conclusion: Diaphragmatic rupture is an uncommon lesion which most often reflects serious trauma whose prognosis depends on the associated lesions. The thoracic route is an interesting alternative for the treatment of diaphragmatic lesions

Delineation of the healthy rabbit tongue by immunohistochemistry – A technical note

In the oral cavity the tongue is an important muscular organ that supports the swallowing of food and liquids. It is responsible for the sense of taste, based on the many different taste buds it contains. Research in the field of tongue diseases demands for suitable preclinical models. The healthy rabbit tongue may therefore serve as baseline and reference for the pathological situation. With this consideration, we covered the fixation and histological stainings as well as the immunohistochemical labelling of the healthy rabbit tongue. In this technical note, initial choice of the fixative is discussed, with a comparison of formalin fixation and subsequent paraffin embedding versus cryopreservation. Moreover, we delineate the effect of an antigen retrieval step for formalin fixation by several examples. Finally, we provide ECM markers collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, α-SMA and elastin staining as well as ki67 for proliferative status and PAR-2 protein expression as a marker for inflammatory status and nociception in tongue sections, mainly from the tongue body. Technically, we found superiority of paraffin sections for collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, ki67 and α-SMA labelling, for selected detections systems. As for ECM components, the lamina propria was very rich in collagen and fibronectin, while the muscular body of the tongue showed only collagen and fibronectin positive areas between the muscle fibers. Moreover, α-SMA was clearly expressed in the walls of arteries and veins. The inflammatory marker PAR-2 on the other hand was prominently expressed in the salivary glands and to some extent in the walls of the vessels. Particular PAR-2 expression was found in the excretory ducts of the tongue. This technical note has the aim to provide baseline images that can be used to compare the pathological state of the diseased rabbit tongue as well as for inter-species comparison, such as mouse or rat tongue. Finally, it can be used for the comparison with the human situation.

Sequenced-based GWAS for linear classification traits in Belgian Blue beef cattle reveals new coding variants in genes regulating body size in mammals.

Cohorts of individuals that have been genotyped and phenotyped for genomic selection programs offer the opportunity to better understand genetic variation associated with complex traits. Here, we performed an association study for traits related to body size and muscular development in intensively selected beef cattle. We leveraged multiple trait information to refine and interpret the significant associations. After a multiple-step genotype imputation to the sequence-level for 14,762 Belgian Blue beef (BBB) cows, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for 11 traits related to muscular development and body size. The 37 identified genome-wide significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) could be condensed in 11 unique QTL regions based on their position. Evidence for pleiotropic effects was found in most of these regions (e.g., correlated association signals, overlap between credible sets (CS) of candidate variants). Thus, we applied a multiple-trait approach to combine information from different traits to refine the CS. In several QTL regions, we identified strong candidate genes known to be related to growth and height in other species such as LCORL-NCAPG or CCND2. For some of these genes, relevant candidate variants were identified in the CS, including three new missense variants in EZH2, PAPPA2 and ADAM12, possibly two additional coding variants in LCORL, and candidate regulatory variants linked to CCND2 and ARMC12. Strikingly, four other QTL regions associated with dimension or muscular development traits were related to five (recessive) deleterious coding variants previously identified. Our study further supports that a set of common genes controls body size across mammalian species. In particular, we added new genes to the list of those associated with height in both humans and cattle. We also identified new strong candidate causal variants in some of these genes, strengthening the evidence of their causality. Several breed-specific recessive deleterious variants were identified in our QTL regions, probably as a result of the extreme selection for muscular development in BBB cattle.

Exploring risk factors of drive for muscularity and muscle dysmorphia in male adolescents from a resource-limited setting in Burkina Faso

In low-income countries, Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) has only been investigated in adult south African amateur-bodybuilders. To date, there is no epidemic study about MD or its cardinal symptom “drive for muscularity” (DFM) and its impact on young men’s lives in African low-income settings. We analyzed a population-representative cross-sectional study of 838 adolescent males aged 12–20 in the rural northwestern Burkina Faso. Participants were assessed for MD with the research criteria of Pope and its cardinal symptom DFM based on the DFM scale (DMS). Since DFM has not been studied in a comparable sample so far, all possible influencing variables were examined exploratively in a linear regression model. Many respondents were underweight (41.5%) and few overweight (1.3%). No-one met standard clinical MD criteria. While 60.1% of 837 wished to be more muscular, only 8.7% of 824 desired a lower body-fat percentage. Regression analysis revealed that higher DMS scores were associated with greater internalization of the muscular body ideal, going to school, living in a rural area, older age, and a history of having faced sexual harassment or assault, but not with media exposure. Our results show that levels of DMS in Burkinabe adolescents were elevated. Risk factors for DFM in environmental circumstances where undernutrition and poverty are common are discussed.

Gait Variability at Different Walking Speeds.

Gait variability (GV) is a crucial measure of inconsistency of muscular activities or body segmental movements during repeated tasks. Hence, GV might serve as a relevant and sensitive measure to quantify adjustments of walking control. However, it has not been clarified whether GV is associated with walking speed, a clarification needed to exploit effective better bilateral coordination level. For this aim, fourteen male students (age 22.4 ± 2.7 years, body mass 74.9 ± 6.8 kg, and body height 1.78 ± 0.05 m) took part in this study. After three days of walking 1 km each day at a self-selected speed (SS) on asphalt with an Apple Watch S. 7 (AppleTM, Cupertino, CA, USA), the participants were randomly evaluated on a treadmill at three different walking speed intensities for 10 min at each one, SS - 20%/SS + 20%/ SS, with 5 min of passive recovery in-between. Heart rate (HR) was monitored and normalized as %HRmax, while the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) (CR-10 scale) was asked after each trial. Kinematic analysis was performed, assessing the Contact Time (CT), Swing Time (ST), Stride Length (SL), Stride Cycle (SC), and Gait Variability as Phase Coordination Index (PCI). RPE and HR increased as the walking speed increased (p = 0.005 and p = 0.035, respectively). CT and SC decreased as the speed increased (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.013, respectively), while ST remained unchanged (p = 0.277). SL increased with higher walking speed (p = 0.0001). Conversely, PCI was 3.81 ± 0.88% (high variability) at 3.96 ± 0.47 km·h-1, 2.64 ± 0.75% (low variability) at SS (4.94 ± 0.58 km·h-1), and 3.36 ± 1.09% (high variability) at 5.94 ± 0.70 km·h-1 (p = 0.001). These results indicate that while the metabolic demand and kinematics variables change linearly with increasing speed, the most effective GV was observed at SS. Therefore, SS could be a new methodological approach to choose the individual walking speed, normalize the speed intensity, and avoid a gait pattern alteration.

Predictors of Success of Inpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in COPD Patients.

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs (PR) are an important part of the comprehensive treatment of patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. Patients respond individually to PR. The aim of this study is to identify potential predictors of success of PR to recognise patients who benefit most and to uncover possible reasons for poor response to PR. We included 121 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who completed our 4-week inpatient PR without any exacerbations of disease during PR that could potentially affect PR outcomes. Improvement in distance of ≥30 m on the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) after PR was chosen as a primary marker of physical success. Ninety-one patients achieved improvement of ≥30 m on the 6MWT and were thus considered good responders, and 30 patients were poor responders with improvement in the distance of <30 m on the 6MWT. We compared baseline clinical characteristics, medication, lung function, physical capacity, body composition, and laboratory blood tests between groups of good and poor responders. The most prominent differences between groups were associated with differences in baseline body composition and erythrocyte-related parameters. Good responders had significantly lower body water content (p = 0.042) and higher body weight (p = 0.036), body fat content (p = 0.049), dry lean mass (p = 0.021), haemoglobin levels (p = 0.040), erythrocyte count (p = 0.017), haematocrit (p = 0.030) and iron level (p = 0.028). A more muscular body composition and a higher ability to transport oxygen from the blood to the muscles could be beneficial for the outcome of PR.

Correlation Of Physical Fitness Factors, Body Mass Index, And Time Spent In Physical Activity Of Aims Maritime Students: Basis In The Preparation Of Agile And Resilient Cadets Onboard

This research aims to assess the current physical fitness status of maritime students and develop strategies to prepare them before their onboarding on international and local vessels. Physical conditioning is identified as the dependent variable, reflecting the general physical functioning and fitness of the respondents. The research hypothesizes that physical activity and BMI also play a significant role in predicting physical conditioning. A total of 212 respondents from the marine transportation and marine engineering programs were included in the study, predominantly male students aged 19-21, classified under the "lower middle-income" socioeconomic category. The results indicate that the respondents perceive themselves as having good muscular condition, flexibility, and body composition. The study reveals positive associations between muscular flexibility and condition, muscular flexibility and physical conditioning, and body composition and physical conditioning. Multiple regression analyses identified muscle flexibility, muscular condition, body composition, BMI, and time spent on physical activity as significant predictors of physical conditioning. Notably, small decreases in body composition and time spent on physical activity were associated with increased physical conditioning, emphasizing the importance of improving these variables to enhance physical health. In conclusion, this research provides insights into the physical fitness status of maritime students and identifies factors influencing their physical conditioning. The study highlights the contributions of muscular flexibility, muscular condition, body composition, physical activity, and BMI in maintaining good physical health among maritime students.

The Correlation between Core Muscular Endurance, Body Composition, and Back Pain in Firefighters: An Observational Study

Firefighters are at a higher risk for experiencing back pain due to the nature of their job, but physical fitness may help to reduce this risk. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation between subjective back pain severity and core muscular endurance exists in firefighters. A secondary purpose was to determine if age or body composition were correlated with back pain severity. This cross-sectional study was performed at a fire department during their Physical Fitness Assessment Program and included 72 male firefighters. Measures included weight, body fat percentage, maximal plank hold times for core muscular endurance, and the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire. A Pearson product correlation analysis was performed between back pain score and each of the following variables: body fat percentage, BMI, age, and plank hold times. A second set of correlation coefficient analyses was performed between the same variables exclusively in subjects who reported back pain. This study found that, within this population of firefighters, there was no significant correlation between back pain and plank times or body composition variables, although there was a trend toward significant correlations between BMI and body fat percentage when only subjects with back pain were considered.

Knowing Human Personality Based on Phisis Constitutional Typology According to Kretschmer and Sheldon’s Understanding

Typology is knowledge that seeks to classify or group humans into certain types on the basis of certain factors, such as physical characteristics, psychics, dominant influences, cultural values, and so on. According to KBBI, typology is the science of character about the human part in groups according to their respective traits. Personality psychology is one of the branches of psychology that explains the human personality or all the behaviors and characteristics of individual habits that accumulate in him and it is used to react and can also adapt to all stimuli, both inside and outside of behavior and habits is a functional unity especially for a person. Kretschmer developed a human typology based on the physical constitution and psychic constitution based on the physical constitution, human types are further divided into 4 types, while based on the psychic constitution, humans are divided into two types. Kretschmer's theory is one of the great works of the early 20th century. He was a German mental illness expert. Kretschmer built his topology on the basis of physical and psychological structures. Physical structure is divided into 4, namely the type of picnic, asthenic athletic and dysplastic. Personality is also defined and explained by different psychologists in various ways. William Herbert still has his own ideas about personality. He provides the theory that body type can be related to the personality of the person. more muscular body, more active and aggressive, thin or thin people with thin muscles are usually characterized as quiet or fragile.

“Tall, Dark and Tasty”: Masculinity in Food and Beverage Advertising

Abstract Food and drinks are necessary components of daily life. Similar to other types of advertising, food advertising frequently employs images of models to promote a company’s products, thus creating stereotypically gendered representations. This study aims to analyse the key discursive strategies employed in the representation of masculinity (and femininity) in contemporary food and beverage advertising in a sample of 35 print advertisements launched between 2000 and 2020. Food and beverages constitute utilitarian products, in contrast to hedonic products. This study analyses posters that promote products that fit into five major categories: (1) alcoholic and (2) non-alcoholic beverages, (3) fast food, (4) snacks, and (5) sport nutrition, in order to trace the relation between the types of endorsed products and the strategies employed in the representations of masculinity. Among the brands advertised are Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Coca-Cola, Maximuscle, McDonald’s, KFC and Nespresso. The study investigates how ideals of masculinity (and femininity) are represented, especially in terms of body ideals, and how these representations construct and promote socially desirable gendered bodies, thus having an impact on an individual’s satisfaction with their own body. We will show that the “framing of visibility” featuring male models as strong and therefore powerful, with trained muscular bodies, is contrasted with the “framing of invisibility,” in which female models are primarily represented as skinny and lightweight, but hyper-feminine and sexually appealing, which in turn leads to their objectification and sexualisation.

Effects of resistance training on muscular strength, endurance, body composition and functional performance among sarcopenic patients: a systematic review.

Sarcopenia, a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength associated with ageing, contributes to a decline in physical abilities, increase in disability and frailty and loss of functional independence. This functional deterioration which comes with ageing, can be slowed in pace with exercise. The objective of the current review was to thoroughly search for literature assessing impact of RT on physical performance, body composition, muscle strength and endurance in sarcopenic elderly patients. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro databases were brought in use for a thorough search for articles published from 2010 to 2023. Two researchers independently retrieved data from studies that complied with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, while they also evaluated quality of the evidence. In total, 14 studies with 742 patients with mean age of 72.4 ± 9.22 years were included in the analysis for this review. Results indicate, RT improves body composition (p = 0.001), functional performance (p 0.001), postural stability (p = 0.005) and muscle strength (p 0.001) in elderly sarcopenic patients. A promising intervention for the management of sarcopenia is RT. To yield RT's positive effects, a well-designed prescription is the need of the hour, just like it is with other treatment strategies.

Contemporary Practices of Strength and Conditioning Coaches in High-Level Male Ice Hockey: A Survey-Based Investigation.

Galati, D, Turner, AN, Bishop, C, and Maloney, SJ. Contemporary practices of strength and conditioning coaches in high-level male ice hockey: a survey-based investigation. J Strength Cond Res 37(11): 2241-2250, 2023-The aim of this study was to provide an updated view of the common practices, ideologies, education level, and professional environment of strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches in elite male ice hockey. Nineteen S&C coaches from professional, semiprofessional, and top-tier collegiate hockey teams in North America completed an anonymous online survey. This was composed of 10 sections: (a) background information; (b) technology use, (c) testing and periodization, (d) strength and power, (e) flexibility/mobility, (f) speed, (g) plyometrics, (h) aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, (i) rehabilitation, and (j) challenges and areas of improvement. Fixed-response questions were analyzed through frequency analyses. Thematic analyses were used to identify common themes from open-response questions. Strength and conditioning coaches had an average of 8 (±6.5) years of experience when they accepted their current role. The majority held a master's degree and S&C certification. Muscular power, linear speed, and body composition were the most frequently tested qualities. Neuromuscular fatigue was the most important consideration during the season and least important consideration during the off-season. Training frequencies for all physical capacities were lower during the season compared with the off-season. All S&Cs had access to technology, with wearables, with force plates identified as the most used devices. This information may be used by S&C coaches to compare working practices with those used by their peers and inform them of the likely requirements and skill sets needed for job applications. Educational institutions may use this information to align teaching to current practice and to inform future research.

AN INSIGHT TO PADAGHATA – A CRITICAL REVIEW

The Ayurvedic system of medicine to prevent and promote healthy life by following certain methods and treat-ments in daily activities (Dinacharya) can be considered as part of health promotion in this fast-moving digital age. Padaghata is one such consequential procedure explained as a daily regimen that includes both preventive and curative aspects of an individual’s health. Ayurveda has meticulously depicted the technique of Padaghata and its various benefits. This procedure helps to maintain the compactness of the body with good musculature, provides relaxation, and most importantly plays a great role in Marma paripaalana i.e., nurturing vitals. Discus-sion: Sneha Dravyas used in the Padaghata procedure undergo Paachana by Bhrajaka agni which is situated in Tvak (Aashrayasthana). Bhrajaka Pitta in its equilibrium state maintains the colour and complexion of the skin. This procedure of deep tissue massage helps in removal of lymphatic and metabolic wastes as both lymphatic and vascular tissues run superficially under the skin eventually nourishing the associated other body tissues. Conclusion: Padaghata is beneficial in keeping psycho-physical harmony in balance. Mainly in regard to main-taining a fit muscular body. The present study deals with a review of various aspects of Padaghata in the clas-sics of Ayurveda and contemporary practices.

Morphological Characteristics and DNA Barcoding of the Rare Blanket Octopus Tremoctopus violaceus (Cephalopoda: Tremoctopodidae) in the Adriatic Sea

Tremoctopods are epipelagic argonautoid octopods characterized by their expanded dorsal webs and strong sexual size dimorphism, with dwarfed males. The scarcity of taxonomic features attributed to this genus presents a challenge, and there is growing evidence of species misidentification in Tremoctopus genus on a molecular level. In this study, we investigated four female specimens of blanket octopus Tremoctopus violaceus caught by purse seine fishing in the Central Eastern Adriatic Sea in 2019. Individuals had smooth, firm and muscular bodies, dark bluish purple on the dorsal and iridescent silvery on the ventral side, with dorsal mantle lengths of 113, 82, 80 and 78 mm. The constructed phylogenetic trees based on the 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences of investigated Adriatic specimens and publicly available sequences showed strong support for the T. violaceus clade, consisting of individuals collected from the Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, with the exclusion of Indo-Pacific clade most probably corresponding to T. gracilis. To fully understand the life-history traits of Tremoctopus species, future research should focus on DNA-based methods for correct species identification combined with morphological characters, geographic distribution and ecological information.

Effects of a single or multi-step drop-set training compared to traditional resistance training on muscle performance and body composition

The purpose was to examine two drop-set (DS) protocols (single step vs. multi-step) compared to traditional resistance training (TRT) over 8 weeks on changes in muscular strength, endurance and body composition. Twenty-seven trained males were randomized to one of three groups: traditional resistance training (TRT: n = 9), the single step drop set group (DS-S: n = 10) and the multi-step drop set group (DS-M: n = 8). Before and after training, body composition (percent body fat and skeletal muscle mass), and muscular strength and endurance (bench and leg press) were determined. Results: There was a significant interaction for leg press 1-RM (p &lt; .001) and absolute change for leg-press 1-RM was significantly greater for both drop set protocols compared to TRT (p &lt; .001). There were significant interactions for both leg press and bench press endurance (p &lt; .001), with post hoc analyses revealing that only DS-M was superior to TRT (p &lt; .001). There was a significant main effect of time for % body fat (p = .020), SMM (p &lt; .001), however there were no differences between groups. Conclusions: Overall, single-step and multi-step drop-set training to failure appear to be effective strategies to enhance lower body strength, while only the multi-step drop set training enhanced muscular endurance compared to TRT.

“Dream Boy” and “Hotmale”

Abstract Gender and sexuality have gradually become the focus of more semiotic landscape research, however, studies relating specifically to sex tourism spaces are limited and with those in the Thai context even more so. Therefore, this paper examines the discursive construction of Phatphong 2, one of the famous destinations for sex tourism in Bangkok among male homosexuals, as queer space. Drawing on code preference and inscription (Scollon and Scollon 2003) and visual social semiotics (Kress and Van Leeuwen 1996), we analyze the linguistic and semiotic resources in sexed signs. Findings reveal that Englishization, particularly the terms “boy” and “Bangkok” in shop signs, creates a glocalized and international queer identity for Phatphong 2. The salience of the lean male muscular body and marginalization of transwomen in promotional signs unveil the hegemonic masculinity in queer sex tourism spaces. The study concludes that sexed signs in sex tourism spaces are semiotic aggregates of global queer culture.

Experiences of the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in the University Setting

Background: Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals face daily challenges in higher education due to a lack of gender-inclusive resources. This shortcoming is rooted in the minimal knowledge about what barriers affect this population. Aims: The aims of this study were to identify fitness-related barriers faced by the transgender community in higher education and emphasize the need to develop fitness standards for the transgender population to reduce those barriers in higher education. Methods: Participants completed one or both aspects of this study. A survey was sent to students to gather information about experiences in fitness at a university and how it relates to their gender. Several of the survey respondents then agreed to participate in a series of fitness assessments to evaluate muscular strength, endurance, and body composition. Results: Seventy-nine students responded to the survey (n = 68 cisgender females, n = 5 cisgender males, n = 2, non-binary, n = 4 transgender males). Proportionally, more transgender and non-binary people (84%) felt that gendered fitness standards did not apply to them when compared to cisgender people (31%). Further, more transgender and non-binary respondents (50%) reported that they were not comfortable working out in all areas of their gym when compared to the cisgender respondents (37%). Twenty-eight students participated in the fitness assessment. The BOD POD assessment of body composition utilizes gender to calculate body fat percentage. When using both male and female classifications, results were not different, meaning the estimated body fat percentage was calculated as the same despite a different gender in the calculation. Conclusions: This study begins to identify fitness-related barriers faced by the transgender community in higher education. Additionally, these small-scale results provide a starting point for future research on developing gender-neutral fitness standards.

A Scale Development for Assessing the Drive for Muscularity Among Pakistani Bodybuilders

Objective: The study was devised to develop the indigenous scale of drive for muscularity among Pakistani bodybuilders Method: To explore the manifestation of drive for muscularity phenomenological approach was used, in which open ended question was asked from the 35 gym user men from different gyms. A list of the 28 most frequently reported items after initial screening was generated. For empirical validation Through 4 expert coaches of the gym were approached then pilot study was administered. In main study 211 bodybuilders were included for test the psychometric properties of indigenous scale. Results: On the basis of Eigen value &gt; 1, the 26 items were extracted. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 2 factors of developed scale. The descriptive label was assigned to each factor on the basis of commonality of items termed as “muscle enhancing behaviors” and “thoughts and desires” related muscular body. A significant positive correlation was found between Drive for Muscularity Inventory and Drive for Muscularity Scale. Drive for Muscularity Inventory was also found to be a valid and reliable scale (test-retest reliability =0.82 and split half reliability = 0.87) with acceptable psychometric properties. Conclusion: Indigenous developed Drive for muscularity scale found to have high internal consistency, construct validity, split-half reliability, and test–retest reliability.