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Muscle strength, size, and neuromuscular function before and during adolescence

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Abstract

Purpose

To compare measurements of muscle strength, size, and neuromuscular function among pre-adolescent and adolescent boys and girls with distinctly different strength capabilities.

Methods

Fifteen boys (mean age ± confidence interval: 13.0 ± 1.0 years) and 13 girls (12.9 ± 1.1 years) were categorized as low strength (LS, n = 14) or high strength (HS, n = 14) based on isometric maximal voluntary contraction strength of the leg extensors. Height (HT), seated height, and weight (WT) determined maturity offset, while percent body fat and fat-free mass (FFM) were estimated from skinfold measurements. Quadriceps femoris muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) was assessed from ultrasound images. Isometric ramp contractions of the leg extensors were performed while surface electromyographic amplitude (EMGRMS) and mechanomyographic amplitude (MMGRMS) were recorded for the vastus lateralis (VL). Neuromuscular efficiency from the EMG and MMG signals (NMEEMG and NMEMMG, respectively) and log-transformed EMG and MMG vs. torque relationships were also used to examine neuromuscular responses.

Results

HS was 99–117% stronger, 2.3–2.8  years older, 14.0–15.7 cm taller, 20.9–22.3 kg heavier, 2.3–2.4 years more biologically mature, and exhibited 39–43% greater CSA than LS (p ≤ 0.001). HS exhibited 74–81% higher NMEEMG than LS (p ≤ 0.022), while HS girls exhibited the highest NMEMMG (p ≤ 0.045). Even after scaling for HT, WT, CSA, and FFM, strength was still 36–90% greater for HS than LS (p ≤ 0.031). The MMGRMS patterns in the LS group displayed more type I motor unit characteristics.

Conclusions

Neuromuscular adaptations likely influence strength increases from pre-adolescence to adolescence, particularly when examining large, force-producing muscles and large strength differences explained by biological maturity, rather than simply age.

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Abbreviations

BF:

Biceps femoris

BF%:

Body fat percent

CSA:

Cross-sectional area

EMG:

Electromyography

FFM:

Fat-free mass

HS:

High strength

HT:

Height

LS:

Low strength

MMG:

Mechanomyography

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

NME:

Neuromuscular efficiency

VL:

Vastus lateralis

WT:

Weight

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Acknowledgements

Efforts for this study were funded, in part, by the University of Nebraska Agriculture Research Division with funds provided by the Hatch Act (Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Accession no: 1000080; Project no: NEB-36-078) and a grant from Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, OH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 211 Ruth Leverton Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

    Zachary M. Gillen, Marni E. Shoemaker, Brianna D. McKay, Nicholas A. Bohannon, Sydney M. Gibson & Joel T. Cramer

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  1. Zachary M. Gillen
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  2. Marni E. Shoemaker
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  3. Brianna D. McKay
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Contributions

All authors conceived and designed the research. ZMG, MES, BDM, NAB, and SMG contributed to the data collection and analysis. ZMG and JTC wrote the manuscript. MES, BDM, NAB, SMG, and JTC contributed edits, feedback, and suggestions for the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Joel T. Cramer.

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Communicated by William J. Kraemer.

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Gillen, Z.M., Shoemaker, M.E., McKay, B.D. et al. Muscle strength, size, and neuromuscular function before and during adolescence. Eur J Appl Physiol 119, 1619–1632 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04151-4

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