Effect of Age and Gender on the Change of Muscle Volume after Strength Training

Objective:To research the possible effects of age and gender on the change of muscle volume after strength training(ST) for human.Methods: For random sampling,select eight young men(age 20³0 years) and eight young women(age 20³0 years),eight older men(age 65⁷5 years) and eight older women(age 65⁷5 years) formed four different experiment-groups.This study set a 5-month ST program to them that exercised all major muscle groups of the lower limbs three times a week.Thigh and quadriceps muscle volumes and mid-thigh muscle cross-sectional area(MCSA)were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging before and after the ST program.Results: Thigh and quadriceps muscle volume increased significantly in all age and gender groups as a result of ST(P<0.001),with no significant differences between the groups.Modest correlations were observed between both the change in quadriceps versus the change in total thigh muscle volume(r=0.65;P<0.001) and the change in thigh muscle volume versus the change in mid-thigh MCSA(r=0.76;P<0.001).Conclusion: 1) neither age nor gender influenced the change of muscle volume response to ST for human;2) Thigh or quadriceps muscle volume determinations may be more accurate and suitable than mid-thigh MCSA for the study of muscle mass and hypertrophy responses to ST.