Search results for " Muscle"

Liquid-crystalline ordering as a concept in materials science: from semiconductors to stimuli-responsive devices.

2013

While the unique optical properties of liquid crystals (LCs) are already well exploited for flat-panel displays, their intrinsic ability to self-organize into ordered mesophases, which are intermediate states between crystal and liquid, gives rise to a broad variety of additional applications. The high degree of molecular order, the possibility for large scale orientation, and the structural motif of the aromatic subunits recommend liquid-crystalline materials as organic semiconductors, which are solvent-processable and can easily be deposited on a substrate. The anisotropy of liquid crystals can further cause a stimuli-responsive macroscopic shape change of cross-linked polymer networks, w…

Carnitine transport in volume-overloaded rat hearts

1995

Carnitine concentration in tissue is generally related to mitochondrial volume-density and ability to oxidize fatty acids. The highest tissue carnitine has been detected in ventricular myocardium which, compared to other tissues, presents elevated rates of oxidative phosphorylation [1]. The ability of cardiac mitochondria to oxidize long chain fatty acids is also much higher when compared to skeletal muscle or liver sarcosomes (Table 1). Paradoxically enough, it has been known for many years [3–5] that the heart is missing γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase [6, 7], the last enzyme of carnitine synthesizing pathway, and that in the myocardium of different species including man, the carnitine synthe…

Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein

2010

Abstract Regardless of age or gender, resistance training or provision of adequate amounts of dietary protein (PRO) or essential amino acids (EAA) can increase muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in healthy adults. Combined PRO or EAA ingestion proximal to resistance training, however, can augment the post-exercise MPS response and has been shown to elicit a greater anabolic effect than exercise plus carbohydrate. Unfortunately, chronic/adaptive response data comparing the effects of different protein sources is limited. A growing body of evidence does, however, suggest that dairy PRO, and whey in particular may: 1) stimulate the greatest rise in MPS, 2) result in greater muscle cross-sectional …

Designing a Low-Fat Food Packaging: Comparing Consumers’ Responses in Virtual and Physical Shopping Environments

2021

This paper aims to test to what extent emotional responses towards a low-fat product presented virtually converge with emotional responses toward this product when presented physically. Second, we want to probe if low-order emotions (physiological/unconscious responses) and high-order emotions (cognitive/conscious responses) converge to explain healthy product choices. To this end, 83 young participants were engaged in our experiment. Two packaging design variables were manipulated with the help of a real company (the color and the message), so that six different packages were created. Two different buying contexts were simulated: A virtual context and a physical context. Physiological resp…

Anticipatory postural adjustments during joint action coordination

2019

International audience; There is a current claim that humans are able to effortlessly detect others’ hidden mental state by simply observing their movements and transforming the visual input into motor knowledge to predict behaviour. Using a classical paradigm quantifying motor predictions, we tested the role of vision feedback during a reach and load-lifting task performed either alone or with the help of a partner. Wrist flexor and extensor muscle activities were recorded on the supporting hand. Early muscle changes preventing limb instabilities when participants performed the task by themselves revealed the contribution of the visual input in postural anticipation. When the partner perfo…

Commentaries on Viewpoint: Airway smooth muscle and airway hyperresponsiveness in human asthma: have we chased the wrong horse?

2014

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) management: present state of the art

2016

This paper reviews existing theories explaining the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) phenomenon. The authors describe the main symptoms of DOMS and their relation to different kinds of training strategies, and discuss the most popular muscle pain reduction interventions such as stretching, diet, dietary supplements, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cryotherapy and cold water immersion, concurrent training, and the repeated bout effect.

Mechanical Coupling Between Muscle-Tendon Units Reduces Peak Stresses

2017

The presence of mechanical linkages between synergistic muscles and their common tendons may distribute forces among the involved structures. We review studies, using humans and other animals, examining muscle and tendon interactions and discuss the hypothesis that connections between muscle bellies and within tendons may serve as a mechanism to distribute forces and mitigate peak stresses. peerReviewed

Function and Fiber-Type Specific Distribution of Hsp60 and αB-Crystallin in Skeletal Muscles: Role of Physical Exercise

2021

Simple Summary Skeletal muscle represents about 40% of the body mass in humans and it is a copious and plastic tissue, rich in proteins that are subject to continuous rearrangements. Physical exercise is considered a physiological stressor for different organs, in particular for skeletal muscle, and it is a factor able to stimulate the cellular remodeling processes related to the phenomenon of adaptation. All cells respond to various stress conditions by up-regulating the expression and/or activation of a group of proteins called heat shock proteins (HSPs). Although their expression is induced by several stimuli, they are commonly recognized as HSPs due to the first experiments showing thei…

Maximal isometric muscle strength and functional ability in daily activities among 75-year-old men and women

2007

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether functional ability in daily activities among 75-year-old men and women is predicted by physical activity, isometric muscle strength and simple function tests. In this representative sample of a general population of 405 75-year-olds, isometric muscle strength and functional ability in daily activities were closely related (odds ratio of disability 1.2–2.1), stressing the importance of strength in the truncus, proximal and distal muscle groups for daily activities. There were strong correlations between physical activity, isometric muscle strength as well as simple function tests and ability to manage daily activities. Those with even light ph…