Diffusion property differences of the lower leg musculature between athletes and non-athletes using 1.5T MRI

作者：Okamoto Yoshikazu^*; Mori Shintaro; Kujiraoka Yuka; Nasu Katsuhiro; Hirano Yuji; Minami Manabu

来源：Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics Biology and Medicine, 2012, 25(4): 277-284.

DOI：10.1007/s10334-011-0294-3

• DTI
• Skeletal muscle
• Hypertrophy
• Diffusion property
• Eigenvalue
• ADC

To compare the differences in diffusion properties-namely fractional anisotropy (FA), three eigenvalues of the diffusion tensor (lambda 1, lambda 2, and lambda 3), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-between athletically-trained and untrained lower leg musculature. %26lt;br%26gt;Twelve athletes (Group A) and 11 non-athletes (Group B) were recruited. All were females in their 20s. We scanned diffusion tensor images of both calves and compared FA, the three eigenvalues, and ADC in the gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, soleus (SOL), and anterior tibialis muscles between Groups A and B, and between the right and left sides, using two-factor fractional ANOVA. %26lt;br%26gt;In all muscles of bilateral calves, all three eigenvalues and ADC were lower in Group A than in Group B, with statistically significant differences in all muscles for lambda 1, lambda 2, and lambda 3 and ADC, with a P value of %26lt; 0.01. Moreover, statistical differences were also found between right and left for lambda 1, lambda 2, and lambda 3 (P %26lt; 0.05), and ADC (P %26lt; 0.01) of the SOL muscle. FA showed no statistically significant differences in any muscles. %26lt;br%26gt;Our results indicate that training causes a decrease of the three eigenvalues and ADC, which we hypothesize is due to an increase of density of myofilaments in the intracellular space, and deformation of the cell induced by enlargement of extracellular components.