This is the first study to apply FDG-PET to a weightlifting exercise and comprehensively investigate whole body skeletal muscle activity in HPC. The most important findings of the present study were that in the lower limbs, there was significantly increased muscle activities in the mono-articular muscles, and there was almost no muscle activity in the trunk and hip muscles. These findings provide insightful into improving sports performance and training strategies.
Glucose is one of the energy sources of skeletal muscle; 18F-FDG is taken up by muscle cells like glucose but is not metabolized and remains in muscle cells as FDG-6-phosphate, which is known as metabolic trapping [9, 10, 12]. Since metabolic trapping is preserved for ∼2 h after injection [14], FDG-PET reflects skeletal muscle glucose metabolism during exercise. Fujimoto et al. used PET to evaluate muscle activity during running in one of the first PET-based studies on muscle activity during exercise [9]. Other previous studies have investigated PET during more complex tasks requiring endurance such as running [15] and double poling [16]. Bojsen-Møller et al. proposed that PET imaging might be a promising adjunct modality or alternative to more traditional methods for investigating muscle activity during complex human movements [16]. Our group applied FDG-PET to the FIFA 11 training program and reported on muscle activity during training and continued effects [17, 18]. We also evaluated the muscle activity of the lower limbs using the belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation system and demonstrated the effectiveness of FDG-PET in passive exercise [19].
In the cervical, dorsal, and deltoid muscles, there was significant muscle activity in the posterior deltoid and teres major muscles related to adduction and extension of the shoulder. There was also significant muscle activity in the middle part of the trapezius and rhomboid muscles related to adduction of the scapula.
In the upper limbs, significant muscle activity was observed in the muscles related to elbow flexion, and the grip of the barbell is considered to contribute to the flexor muscles of the forearm. The muscle activity of the extensor digitorum may be due to the dorsiflexion of the wrist joint held after raising the barbell.
In the trunk and hip muscles, significant muscle activity was observed only in the erector spinae muscles. Previous studies evaluating the EMG activity of the rectus abdominis, external oblique, and erector spinae muscles during squats reported the highest muscle activity in the erector spinae muscles [20], supporting the present results. There was no significant muscle activity in the gluteus muscles, but it affected the hip flexion angle of the HPC. It has been shown that gluteus maximus muscle activity is higher in full squats than in half squats [21].
HPC showed significant muscle activity in the quadriceps femoris. This result was greatly affected by knee extension in the concentric phase. However, when comparing the four muscles of the quadriceps femoris, the mean SUVs of the vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis tended to be higher than that of the rectus femoris. Yamashita et al. reported on EMG activities in mono- and bi-articular muscles of the quadriceps femoris when hip and knee extension are combined; they showed that the EMG activities of the rectus femoris are inhibited and the vastus medialis is facilitated by combining hip extension with knee extension [22]. In addition, Mayer et al. showed that the muscle activity of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis was higher than that of the rectus femoris during squats; these reports support this result [23]. While squats involve the extension of the hip during the concentric phase, for which the hamstrings are a primary motor, it also involves the extension of the knee, to which the hamstrings are antagonists. Thus, hamstring activity is lower when combined hip and knee extension is performed in comparison to the isolated hip extension [22].
In the triceps surae, the soleus muscle showed significant muscle activity compared to the gastrocnemius muscle. A previous study evaluating muscle activity in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles during the two-foot hopping task reported that there was muscle activity only in the soleus muscle [24, 25]. The gastrocnemius muscle is a biarticular muscle, and it is possible that muscle activity is inhibited by knee extension.
All subjects had an externally rotated position of the foot during HPC. Because the rectus femoris is the biarticulate muscle, when the foot was externally rotated, the hip was placed in an externally rotated position, potentially activating the rectus femoris. A previous report showed that externally rotated foot position affects rectus femoris muscle activity [26]; this result might have been affected. Peroneal muscle activity is higher in muscles related to plantar ankle flexion, but this result might have been affected by the externally rotated position of the foot.
This study has some limitations. First, the FDG-PET method captures muscle glucose uptake only. Other substrates such as free fatty acids, muscle glycogen, and lactate are also metabolized in the active muscle cells, but glucose oxidation increases with exercise intensity, and glucose uptake increases, to some extent, in proportion to glycogen utilization when exercise intensity rises [10]. In addition, a previous report has shown that FDG uptake is higher in muscles composed of type 1 fibers than in muscles composed of type II fibers [27]; this result might not completely reflect skeletal muscle activity of HPC. A second limitation of this study is that the SUV measurement method is manual. In addition to the possibility that the range of ROI may not be accurate, the measurement was performed in one slice using the landmark as an index, so it does not reflect the skeletal muscle activity of the entire muscle. The third limitation of this study is that the barbell weight is set low. As mentioned above, plasma glucose uptake in tissues is increased in relation to exercise intensity, so skeletal muscle activity may have been altered by changing the barbell to a heavier weight. However, the heavy barbell could disturb the correct motion of the HPC and lead to athlete injury. Finally, the sample size was limited considering radiation exposure. Sample size was calculated using G-power 3.1(effect size 1.6, α-error 0.05, and target power 0.95); a minimum of 10 subjects per group was recommended based on a previous study [17].
Although there are the aforementioned limitations, this is the first study to apply FDG-PET to weightlifting exercise. These findings provide useful insight to help in improving sports performance and training strategies.