Can the Functional Movement Screen™ be used to capture changes in spine and knee motion control following 12 weeks of training?

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether objective measures of spine and frontal plane knee motion exhibited during Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS) task performance changed following a movement-guided fitness (MOV) and conventional fitness (FIT) exercise intervention. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled experiment. Before and after 12 weeks of exercise, participants' kinematics were quantified while performing the FMS and a series of general whole-body movement tasks. SETTING: Biomechanics laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two firefighters were assigned to MOV, FIT, or a control (CON) group. OUTCOME MEASURES: Peak lumbar spine flexion/extension, lateral bend and axial twist, and frontal plane knee motion. RESULTS: The post-training kinematic changes exhibited by trainees while performing the FMS tasks were similar in magnitude (effect size < 0.8) to those exhibited by CON. However, when performing the battery of general whole-body movement tasks, only MOV showed significant improvements in spine and frontal plane knee motion control (effect size > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Whether graded qualitatively, or quantitatively via kinematic analyses, the FMS may not be a viable tool to detect movement-based exercise adaptations. Amendments to the FMS tasks and/or scoring method are needed before it can be used for reasons beyond appraising the ability to move freely, symmetrically, and without pain.

Data on skeletal muscle apoptosis, autophagy, and morphology in mice treated with doxorubicin.

Skeletal muscle apoptosis and autophagy are catabolic processes that contribute to muscle atrophy during aging, disease, and following muscle injury. In this article, we present data on skeletal muscle apoptosis, autophagy, and morphology in C57BL/6 mice following doxorubicin administration. More specifically, time-course data on caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, calpain, and cathepsin activity are presented, along with data on ATG7, p62, LC3-I, and LC3-II protein expression. Data on skeletal muscle reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, muscle morphology, as well as body and muscle weights are also presented.

An appraisal of the Functional Movement Screen™ grading criteria--Is the composite score sensitive to risky movement behavior?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the composite Functional Movement Screen (FMS) score and performers' spine and frontal plane knee motion. DESIGN: Examined the spine and frontal plane knee motion exhibited by performers who received high (>14) and low (<14) composite FMS scores. Participants' body motions were quantified while they performed the FMS. SETTING: Biomechanics laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve men who received composite FMS scores greater than 14 were assigned to a high-scoring group. Twelve age-, height- and weight-matched men with FMS scores below 14 were assigned to a low-scoring group. OUTCOME MEASURES: Composite FMS scores and peak lumbar spine flexion/extension, lateral bend and axial twist, and left and right frontal plane knee motion. RESULTS: Significant differences (p < 0.05) and large effect sizes (>0.8) were noted between the high- and low-scoring groups when performing the FMS tasks; high-scorers employed less spine and frontal plane knee motion. Substantial variation was also observed amongst participants. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with high composite FMS scores exhibited less spine and frontal plane knee motion while performing the FMS in comparison to their low-scoring counterparts. However, because substantial variation was observed amongst performers, the FMS may not provide the specificity needed for individualized injury risk assessment and exercise prescription.

High-fat feeding does not induce an autophagic or apoptotic phenotype in female rat skeletal muscle.

Apoptosis and autophagy are critical in normal skeletal muscle homeostasis; however, dysregulation can lead to muscle atrophy and dysfunction. Lipotoxicity and/or lipid accumulation may promote apoptosis, as well as directly or indirectly influence autophagic signaling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 16-week high-fat diet on morphological, apoptotic, and autophagic indices in oxidative and glycolytic skeletal muscle of female rats. High-fat feeding resulted in increased fat pad mass, altered glucose tolerance, and lower muscle pAKT levels, as well as lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species generation in soleus muscle; however, muscle weights, fiber type-specific cross-sectional area, and fiber type distribution were not affected. Moreover, DNA fragmentation and LC3 lipidation as well as several apoptotic (ARC, Bax, Bid, tBid, Hsp70, pBcl-2) and autophagic (ATG7, ATG4B, Beclin 1, BNIP3, p70 s6k, cathepsin activity) indices were not altered in soleus or plantaris following high-fat diet. Interestingly, soleus muscle displayed small increases in caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activity, as well as higher ATG12-5 and p62 protein, while both soleus and plantaris muscle showed dramatically reduced Bcl-2 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) levels. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that 16 weeks of high-fat feeding does not affect tissue morphology or induce a global autophagic or apoptotic phenotype in skeletal muscle of female rats. However, high-fat feeding selectively influenced a number of apoptotic and autophagic indices which could have implications during periods of enhanced muscle stress.