Projects / Programmes
Development and evaluation of new physiotherapeutic means for optimal muscle conditioning and muscle atrophy treatment
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.06.00 |
Medical sciences |
Cardiovascular system |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B710 |
Biomedical sciences |
Physical medicine, kinesitherapy, revalidation, rehabilitation |
physiotherapy methods, sport and orthopaedic injuries, muscle atrophy and hyperthrophy, muscle conditioning, resistance exercise, muscle ischaemia and hipoxia
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
21036 |
PhD Alan Kacin |
Cardiovascular system |
Head |
2007 - 2008 |
352 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The general objective of the proposed project is to develop and evaluate new physiotherapeutic means for enhanced muscle conditioning and hypertrophy after injury and concomitantly investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms of enhanced muscle conditioning and hypertrophy with reduced oxygen delivery to the exercising muscle. Based on literature review and results of our previous studies, three different methods for manipulating oxygenation and metabolism of the exercising muscles were recognised as promising therapeutic modalities for boosting normal exercise-induced muscle hyperthrophy and conditioning: 1) venous occlusion with application of inflammable cuffs (pressure 160-230 mmHg) to the inguinal area, 2) increased tissue pressure (~50 mm Hg) around the entire lower limb with application of compression socks and 3) reduced arterial blood oxygenation by inhaling gas mixture containing reduced oxygen fraction (FO2 = 12%; normobaric hypoxia). To develop optimal application of each method and evaluate their effectiveness as new physiotherapeutic modalities, a series of experiments will be carried out on three groups of 10 healthy individuals. A battery of tests will be performed on all subjects to evaluate their initial muscle size and performance capacities as well as the cardiovascular, metabolic and thermoregulatory responses to various types of muscle activity. After the preliminary testing, all three groups of subjects will undergo 6 weeks of identical exercise training programme of knee extensor muscles (total of 18 sessions). In all groups the subjects will train one leg without any experimental manipulations (control leg), whereas the other leg will be experimentally manipulated by three different methods (experimental leg). By statistical comparison of the results between the control and experimental leg within each group and across the groups, the most efficient method for muscle conditioning and hypertrophy will be identified. In addition, the role and interaction of measured physiological variables in the development of muscle hypertrophy, strength and endurance will be analysed. In the second phase of the project, the identified most promising therapeutic modality will be evaluated also in patients after knee surgery/arthroscopy, who suffer from muscle dysfunction and atrophy. In order to dissociate the effect of training from the effect of experimental intervention, the patients will be randomly selected and assigned to two groups. First group (control group) will train knee extensor muscles on both injured and non-injured limb without any experimental intervention during exercise. Likewise, the second group (experimental group) will train the non-injured limb without any experimental intervention, whereas the injured limb will be trained with the new therapeutic modality.
The results of this project will on one hand contribute to basic scientific knowledge of mechanisms of muscle conditioning and hyperthrophy, while on the other will give an applied value of new therapeutic modality that both sportsmen and orthopaedic patients may benefit from.
Significance for science
The final outcome of the present research project can be summarised into four key scientific findings, which deepen our understanding of chronic adaptation of normotrophic muscle tissue to reduced oxygen availability during light-load resistance training. These are: 1) increased efficiency and reactivity of regulatory mechanisms governing blood supply and oxygen availability in the muscle as adaptation to ischemic training (cuff pressure ? 230 mmHg) and concomitant increase in endurance and oxidative capacity of a muscle, 2) reduced activation of muscle fibres during acute bout of ischemic exercise which is not affected by long-term period of ischemic training and 3) moderate increase in cross-sectional area of quadriceps muscle in the absence of concomitant increase in MVC force with ischemic training, which is most likely an evidence of muscle psudohypertrophy due to capillary network proliferation and increased glycogen stores in the muscle and 4) training in normobaric hypoxia (FO2=11%) has no effect on muscle mass or performance thus it cannot be regarded as an effective substitute for ischemic exercise.
In addition to the novel scientific findings on physiological adaptation of healthy muscle tissue to reduced oxygen availability during light-load resistance training, the results of our pilot clinical experiment confirm the potential benefit of ischemic exercise for treating postoperative inactivity-induced muscle atrophies and concomitant loss of muscle function. However, the efficiency and superiority of ischemic training over the prevailing physiotherapy methods for treating muscle atrophies have to be scrutinised on larger population sample prior to inclusion to everyday clinical practice. Most likely the most effective application of ischemic training would be during early postoperative period, when the development of atrophy is accelerated. A possible negative impact of ischemic training on healing tissues however, must yet be evaluated.
Significance for the country
The present project is the first basic-science research project in Slovenia which investigated physiological adaptations of muscle to a novel physiotherapeutic means and concomitantly explored possibilities for effective transition of project results to everyday clinical practise. By introducing high international standards of evidence-based physiotherapy practice and innovative treatment procedures, it can be regarded as a milestone in the development of physiotherapy profession in Slovenia. The experimental work accomplished during this project, combined with concomitant development of Laboratory of Physiotherapy at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, and new collaborations established with other clinical institutions, is a foundation for further development of new area of scientific research in Slovenia. This will have a positive impact on quality of undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes in physiotherapy in Slovenia. In addition, it opens a window of opportunity for future training of young investigators in this area of research and thus amplifies development of academic personal at the Department of Physiotherapy. The anticipated long term impact for public welfare is increased quality of health-care service in Slovenia. The reports of novel scientific findings from this project in peer review journals and international scientific meetings will also increase the reputation of Slovenia within the international scientific community.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
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Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
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