The Bilateral Deficit Phenomenon, Functional and Dynamometric Assessment in Postmenopausal Women

The bilateral deficit phenomenon (BLD) is defined as an inability of the neuromuscular system to generate maximal force when two homonymous limb operate simultaneously (bilateral contraction) with respect to the force developed when both limbs acts separately (unilateral contraction). From an applied perspective, movement patterns of bilateral homonymous limb are often developed during activities of day living, e.g. rising from a chair or opening a jar. The BLD can be considered an intrinsic property of the human neuromuscular system but could be enough important to constitute a performance-limiting factor for postmenopausal women that involves a degenerative loss of muscular strength. Therefore, a specific analysis of this phenomenon and its relation with activities of daily living, such as climbing a step and rising from a chair, is crucial for detecting variables of neuromuscular performance and develop strategies to minimize the loss of strength.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Weakness; Postmenopausal Syndrome

Detailed Description

• 20 postmenopausal women unexperience in strength training or resistance training, without musculoskeletal, neurological diseases, and cardiovascular limiting-diseases were recruited.
• Maximum strength of lower limbs during leg-press exercise was measured for future analysis.
• The force-time curves were measured during climbing a step and rising from a chair.
• A fragility phenotype test was applied to the subjects to determine frailty phenotype classification, including; weight loss of greater than 10 lbs in the past 12 months, maximal handgrip strength, time to walk 15-ft at usual pace, self-reported leisure time physical activity, and self-reported exhaustion.
• The anthropometric measurements were performed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 20

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Murcia, Spain, 30107
    • Catholic University of Murcia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 50 years to 70 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Postmenopausal women not experienced in strength training or resistance, without musculoskeletal, neurological diseases, and cardiovascular limiting-factor.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Postmenopausal women

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unexperienced in strength training or resistance training.
• Not musculoskeletal diseases.
• Not neurological diseases.
• Not cardiovascular limiting-diseases.
• Not fragility or pre-fragility phenotype.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Assess the maximum force of lower limbs during bilateral and unilateral contraction	Screening visit
Assess the force-time curve during climbing a step	Screening visit
Assess the force-time curve during climbing rising from a chair	Screening visit
Assess bone mineral-free lean tissue mass by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry	Screening visit
Assess the fragility phenotype of the subjects	Screening visit
Assess the rate of force developed in time intervals (0-50, 50-100, 100-150ms) of lower limbs during bilateral and unilateral contraction	Screening visit
Assess fat-tissue mass and lean-tissue mass composition	Screening visit

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Juan Diego JD Ruiz-Cárdenas, BSc, MSc, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Ruiz-Cardenas JD, Rodriguez-Juan JJ, Jakobi JM, Rios-Diaz J, Marin-Cascales E, Rubio-Arias JA. Bilateral deficit in explosive force related to sit-to-stand performance in older postmenopausal women. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2018 Jan;74:145-149. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2017.10.023. Epub 2017 Oct 31.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): May 5, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 15, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 10, 2018
• Last Verified: October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Muscle Strength; Postmenopause; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Absorptiometry, Photon
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Muscle Weakness
• Other Study ID Numbers: UCAM-BLD-1