Evidence of increased axillary blood flow velocity without increased handgrip strength and endurance in persons with a fibromuscular axillary arch.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this in vivo study was to compare axillary artery blood flow velocity, and maximal handgrip strength and endurance performance in young subjects with and without an axillary arch (AA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty-six young adults were screened for the presence of an AA on their dominant arm side. After physical examination subjects were checked using diagnostic echography for the presence of an AA. Sixteen subjects with an AA and 15 without an AA had their axillary artery peak systolic velocity quantified in 3 different arm positions using Doppler ultrasound. Maximal handgrip strength and endurance performance was quantified in the same positions using a functional rehabilitation system. RESULTS: Mean peak systolic velocity was significantly higher in the AA group compared to controls in abduction/external rotation of the arm during muscle relaxation (p = 0.003) and contraction (p = 0.01). No significant differences between groups were found for maximal handgrip strength and endurance performance. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for a transient axillary artery compression by the AA in a throwing position. This is not reinforced by additional contraction of the shoulder muscles along with the AA. Axillary artery compression does not influence maximal handgrip strength and endurance performance in symptom-free young adults.

Quality control of 157 whole body adiposity prediction formulae in age and activity matched men.

AIM AND METHODS: The physiological and clinical importance of body composition is part of public health, nutrition and Sports medicine. The most popular field method for estimating total body adiposity remains anthropometry separately or in formulae. The aim of this study was to verify the suitability of an absolute maximum out of more than 600 existing anthropometry equations estimating % adipose tissue (AT) in a cross validation with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and hydrodensitometry (HD) on 74 British male subjects (mean age 34.4±14.1) with different lifestyles corresponding to a maximum of populations the original formula was developed for. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficients, paired sample t-test and Bland and Altman plots where used for analyses. From the tested formulae, 19 correlated well (r≥0.70) and showed no significant difference (p>0.05) with BIA, 15 with DXA and only 12 with HD. The results show a better match of the predicted % AT by anthropometric equations with BIA then with DXA or HD. CONCLUSION: All results and conditions considered, this study suggest not to use HD nor anthropometric formulae to assess % AT in men for an individual estimation.