Multi-frequency bioimpedance in human muscle assessment

Else Marie Bartels, Emma Rudbæk Sørensen, Adrian Paul Harrison, Else Marie Bartels, Emma Rudbæk Sørensen, Adrian Paul Harrison

Abstract

Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a well-known and tested method for body mass and muscular health assessment. Multi-frequency BIA (mfBIA) equipment now makes it possible to assess a particular muscle as a whole, as well as looking at a muscle at the fiber level. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that mfBIA can be used to assess the anatomical, physiological, and metabolic state of skeletal muscles. mfBIA measurements focusing on impedance, resistance, reactance, phase angle, center frequency, membrane capacitance, and both extracellular and intracellular resistance were carried out. Eight healthy human control subjects and three selected cases were examined to demonstrate the extent to which this method may be used clinically, and in relation to training in sport. The electrode setup is shown to affect the mfBIA parameters recorded. Our recommendation is the use of noble metal electrodes in connection with a conductance paste to accommodate the typical BIA frequencies, and to facilitate accurate impedance and resistance measurements. The use of mfBIA parameters, often in conjunction with each other, can be used to reveal indications of contralateral muscle loss, extracellular fluid differences, contracted state, and cell transport/metabolic activity, which relate to muscle performance. Our findings indicate that mfBIA provides a noninvasive, easily measurable and very precise momentary assessment of skeletal muscles.

Keywords: Bioimpedance; biomedical technology assessment; skeletal muscle.

© 2015 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A drawing of the typical electrode setup recommended by the manufacturer and adopted in this study. Note that the current (I+ and I−) electrodes are the outermost electrodes (red and black), whilst the voltage electrodes (V1 and V2) are innermost (yellow and blue). This drawing is copyright © AH – permission is given for publication.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A typical Cole–Cole plot of the mfBIA data obtained for Human #1 in a relaxed state. Note the thick and slightly irregular part of the curve where the measured mfBIA data closely fit to the thinner predicted curve. The fc value is the frequency at which the maximal Xc (peak of curve) is measurable.

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