Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2010; 31(3): 148-153
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1243643
Physiology & Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Deltoid Muscle Characteristics in Wrestlers

A. Mandroukas2 , J. Heller2 , T. I. Metaxas1 , K. Christoulas1 , E. Vamvakoudis1 , P. Stefanidis1 , A. Papavasileiou1 , K. Kotoglou1 , D. Balasas1 , B. Ekblom3 , K. Mandroukas1
  • 1Laboratory of Ergophysiology-Ergometry, Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 2Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
  • 3Åstrand Laboratory of Work Physiology, The Swedish School of Health and Sport Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision November 28, 2009

Publication Date:
15 February 2010 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the deltoid muscle characteristics of wrestlers. Nine Greco-Roman competitive male wrestlers (mean age 20.1±2.7 yrs, height 175±0.6 cm, weight 83.2±12.5 kg, years of training 7.6±2.7 yrs) participated in this study. Six male healthy sedentary students (mean age 21.2±0.9 yrs, height 180±0.3 cm, weight 80.1±9.4 kg) served as controls. Muscle fibre distribution, cross-sectional area (CSA), as well as satellite cells, myonuclei and capillary density per muscle fibre area were determined by immunohistochemistry. Myosin heavy chain MHC isoform composition of single fibres was determined with protein electrophoresis. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that muscle fibre distribution of the MHC I and IIA were significantly higher in wrestlers than in controls (p<0.05). Electrophoretic analysis of single fibres revealed a significantly higher proportion of fibres containing MHC I and IIC in wrestlers (p<0.05). The mean CSA of type IIA fibres and the number of myonuclei per type II was significantly higher in wrestlers (p<0.05). We also found that the number of satellite cells was 2.5 fold higher in wrestlers than in the control group. This study suggests that the observed muscle fibre profile in the deltoid of wrestlers may represent an adaptation based on the specific mechanical and biochemical demands of the long-term training in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Key words

MHC analysis - muscle biopsies - single fibres - immunohistochemistry - resistance training

References

  • 1 Adams GR, Hather BM, Baldwin KM, Dudley GA. Skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain composition and resistance training.  J Appl Physiol. 1993;  74 911-915
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Allen DL, Monke SR, Talmadge RJ, Roy RR, Edgerton VR. Plasticity of myonuclear number in hypertrophied and atrophied mammalian skeletal muscle fibers.  J Appl Physiol. 1995;  78 1969-1976
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Brooke MH, Kaiser K. Three “myosin adenosine triphosphatase” systems: the nature of their pH lability and sulflhydryl dependence.  J Histochem Cytocem. 1970;  18 670-672
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Charifi N, Kadi F, Féasson L, Costes F, Geyssant A, Denis C. Enhancement of microvessel tortuosity in the vastus lateralis muscle of old men in response to endurance training.  J Physiol. 2004;  554 559-569
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Charifi N, Kadi F, Féasson L, Denis C. Effects of endurance training on satellite cell frequency in skeletal muscle of old men.  Muscle Nerve. 2003;  28 87-92
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Christoulas K, Kesidis N, Metaxas T, Vrabas IS, Vamvakoudis E, Mandroukas K. Fiber type distribution, fiber size, and capillary density of deltoid and vastus lateralis muscles: influence of bodybuilding.  Osterreichisches J Sportmed. 2003;  3 6-10
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Harber MP, Gallagher PM, Trautmann J, Trappe SW. Myosin heavy chain composition of single muscle fibers in male distance runners.  Int J Sports Med. 2002;  23 484-488
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. International Journal of Sports Medicine – Ethical Standards in Sport and Exercise Science Research.  Int J Sports Med. 2009;  30 701-702
    Google Scholar
  • 9 Hikida RS, Staron RS, Hagerman FC, Walsh S, Kaiser E, Shell S, Hervey S. Effects of high-intensity resistance training on untrained older men. II. Muscle fiber characteristics and nucleo-cytoplasmic relationships.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;  55 B347-B354
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Howald H. Training-induced morphological and functional changes in skeletal muscle.  Int J Sports Med. 1982;  3 1-12
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Hughes SM, Cho M, Karsch-Mizrachi I, Travis M, Silberstein L, Leinwand LA, Blau HM. Three slow myosin heavy chains sequentially expressed in developing mammalian skeletal muscle.  Dev Biol. 1993;  158 183-199
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Kadi F, Charifi N, Denis C, Lexell J, Andersen JL, Schjerling P, Olsen S, Kjaer M. The behaviour of satellite cells in response to exercise: what have we learned from human studies?.  Pflugers Arch. 2005;  451 319-327
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Kadi F, Charifi N, Denis C, Lexell J. Satellite cells and myonuclei in young and elderly men and women.  Muscle Nerve. 2004;  29 120-127
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Kadi F, Schjerling P, Andersen LL, Charifi N, Madsen JL, Christensen LR, Andersen JL. The effects of heavy resistance training and detraining on satellite cells in human skeletal muscles.  J Physiol. 2004;  558 1005-1012
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Kadi F. Adaptation of human skeletal muscle to training and anabolic steroids.  Acta Physiol Scand Suppl. 2000;  646 1-52
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Kadi F, Thornell LE. Concomitant increases in myonuclear and satellite cell content in female trapezius muscle following strength training.  Histochem Cell Biol. 1999;  113 99-103
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Kadi F, Hägg G, Håkansson R, Holmner S, Butler-Browne GS, Thornell LE. Structular changes in male trapezius muscle with work-related myalgia.  Acta Neuropathol. 1998;  95 352-360
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Kesidis N, Metaxas TI, Vrabas IS, Stefanidis P, Vamvakoudis E, Christoulas K, Mandroukas A, Balasas D, Mandroukas K. Myosin heavy chain isoform distribution in single fibres of bodybuilders.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008;  103 579-583
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Klitgaard H, Zhou M, Richter EA. Myosin heavy chain composition of single fibers from m. biceps brachii of male body builders.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1990;  140 175-180
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Mavidis A, Vamvakoudis E, Metaxas T, Stefanidis P, Koutlianos N, Christoulas K, Karamanlis A, Mandroukas K. Morphology of deltoid muscles in elite tennis players.  J Sports Sci. 2007;  25 1501-1506
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Nilsson J, Csergö S, Gullstrand L, Tveit P, Refsnes PE. Work-time profile, blood lactate concentration and rating of perceived exertion in the 1998 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championship.  J Sports Sci. 2002;  20 939-945
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Pette D, Staron RS. Myosin isoforms, muscle fiber types, and transitions.  Microsc Res Tech. 2000;  50 500-509
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Saltin B, Henriksson J, Nygaard E, Andersen P, Jansson E. Fiber types and metabolic potentials of skeletal muscles in sedentary man and endurance runners.  Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1977;  301 3-29
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Salviati G, Betto R, Danieli-Betto D, Zeviani M. Myofibrillar-protein isoforms and sarcoplasmic Ca++-transport activity of single muscle human fibres.  Biochem J. 1984;  224 215-225
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Schubert W, Zimmermann K, Cramer M, Starzinski-Powitz A. Lymphocyte antigen Leu-19 as a molecular marker of regeneration in human skeletal muscle.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1989;  86 307-311
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Schultz E, McCormick KM. Skeletal muscle satellite cells.  Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol. 1994;  23 213-257
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Sharratt MT, Taylor AW, Song TM. A physiological profile of elite Canadian freestyle wrestlers.  Can J Appl Sport Sci. 1986;  11 100-105
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Shoepe TC, Stelzer JE, Garner DP, Widrick JJ. Functional adaptability of muscle fibers to long-term resistance exercise.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;  35 944-951
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Sinha-Hikim I, Artaza J, Woodhouse L, Gonzalez-Cadavid N, Singh AB, Lee MI, Storer TW, Casaburi R, Shen R, Bhasin S. Testosterone-induced increase in muscle size in healthy young men is associated with muscle fiber hypertrophy.  Am J Physiol. 2002;  283 E154-E164
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Smerdu V, Karsch-Mizrachi I, Campione M, Leinwand L, Schiaffino S. Type IIx myosin heavy chain transcripts are expressed in type IIb fibers of human skeletal muscle.  Am J Physiol. 1994;  267 C1723-C1728
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Staron RS, Karapondo DL, Kraemer WJ, Fry AC, Gordon SE, Falkel JE, Hagerman FC, Hikida RS. Skeletal muscle adaptations during early phase of heavy-resistance training in men and women.  J Appl Physiol. 1994;  76 1247-1255
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Tesch PA, Karlsson J. Muscle fiber types and size in trained and untrained muscles of elite athletes.  J Appl Physiol. 1985;  59 1716-1720
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Tesch PA, Larsson L. Muscle hypertrophy in bodybuilders.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1982;  49 301-306
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Tesch PA, Thorsson A, Kaiser P. Muscle capillary supply and fiber type characteristics in weight and power lifters.  J Appl Physiol. 1984;  56 35-38
    PubMedGoogle Scholar

Correspondence

Dr. Thomas Ioannis Metaxas

Laboratory of Ergophysiology-Ergometry

Department of Physical Education & Sports Science

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

54124 Thessaloniki

Greece

Phone: +302310992250

Fax: +302310992250

Email: tommet@phed.auth.gr