• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.129-136
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• 2022

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of applying intensity on the muscle activity and muscle hardness of the upper trapezius muscle in adult males when TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) was applied. In addition, this study intends to prepare the scientific basic data of TENS for the purpose of relaxation based on the experimental results. Methods : Eighty-seven healthy adult males participated in the experiment, and they were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. All subjects in this study were healthy subjects without musculoskeletal or nervous system damage. All subjects were subjects who voluntarily consented to the purpose and method of the experiment. All subjects were provided with a load by typing for 20 minutes, and muscle activity and muscle hardness of the upper trapezius muscle were measured immediately. Afterwards, TENS was given to each groups for 15 minutes, and the experimental group received stimulation at the motor threshold level, and the control group received a placebo stimulation. After stimulation, muscle activity and muscle hardness of the upper trapezius muscle were measured in the same method. The measured data were compared between groups through an independent t-test and dependent t-test. The statistical significance level was set at .05. Results : The application of TENS statistically significantly decreased the muscle activity and muscle hardness of the trapezius muscle in the experimental group, and the results showed a significant difference from the control group. Conclusion : Application of TENS significantly decreased the muscle activity and muscle stiffness of the upper trapezius muscle. The application of TENS of applying intensity that induces muscle contraction may induce relaxation by reducing the muscle activity and muscle hardness of the trapezius muscle.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of midsole hardness of running shoe on muscle fatigue and impact force during distance running. Method: Ten healthy college recreational runners who were performing distance running at least three times a week participated in this experiment. They were asked to run for 15 minutes in the treadmill at 10 km/h with running shoes having three different types of midsole hardness (Soft, Medium, Hard). EMG signal and insole pressure were collected during the first and last one minute for each running trials. Data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Results: Midsole hardness did not affect the consistency of stride length. For the median frequency of the EMG signal, only VL was affected by midsole hardness; that of medium was greater than other midsoles (p<.05). The loading rate of impact forces increased by midsole hardness (p<.01). Conclusion: Although soft midsole could attenuate impact forces at heel contact, it might have a negative effect on the fatigue of muscle which could decelerate the body after heel contact. Therefore, it is necessary to select the optimum hardness of midsole carefully for both reduction impact forces and muscle fatigue.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.355-363
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• 2023

Purpose: Sonographic elastography can be used to evaluate the hardness of muscle tissue through the application of compression. Strain elastography gauges hardness through the comparison of echo sets before and after compression. This study utilized ultrasonography to measure the thickness and hardness of the masseter muscle in individuals with temporomandibular joint(TMJ) osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods: This study included 40 patients who presented with joint pain and were diagnosed with TMJ osteoarthritis via diagnostic cone-beam computed tomography, along with 40 healthy individuals. The thickness and hardness of each individual's masseter muscle were evaluated both at rest and at maximum bite using ultrasonography. The Mann-Whitney U test and the chi-square test were employed for statistical analysis, with the significance level set at P<0.05. Results: The mean thickness of the resting masseter muscle was 0.91 cm in patients with osteoarthritis, versus 1.00 cm in healthy individuals. The mean thickness of the masseter muscle at maximum bite was 1.28 cm in osteoarthritis patients and 1.36 cm in healthy individuals. The mean masseter elasticity index ratio at maximum bite was 4.51 in patients with osteoarthritis and 3.16 in healthy controls. Significant differences were observed between patients with osteoarthritis and healthy controls in both the masseter muscle thickness and the masseter elasticity index ratio, at rest and at maximum bite (P<0.05). Conclusion: The thickness of the masseter muscle in patients with TMJ osteoarthritis was less than that in healthy controls. Additionally, the hardness of the masseter muscle was greater in patients with TMJ osteoarthritis.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.352-357
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the lipid and collagen content and drip volume on the hardness of fish meat. Red sea bream (cultured and wild) and flounder (cultured, cultured with obosan and wild) were used for this study. Textural differences between cultured and wild meats were determined by the measurements of hardness, lipid and collagen content, and drip volume. Lipid content of the dorsal muscle was higher especially in cultured red sea bream (3.32%) than in wild one. Cultured and wild flounder contained lower content of lipid than red sea bream. The content of collagen was higher in cultured flounder fed with obosan (8.37 mg/g muscle) and wild flounder (8.02 mg/g muscle) than others. Drip volume was the highest in cultured flounder fed with obosan (8.67%). The hardness of raw meat was correlated with the contents of lipid (r= -0.7063) and collagen (r= 0.8307), significantly. Cultured fish contained more lipid and less collagen than wild one. So, the hardness of these fish meats was lower than wild one. However, cultured flounder fed with obosan showed no difference in hardness compared with wild one. In the cooked meat, there was no relationship between the hardness of fish meat and the contents of lipid and collagen. But, the drip volume was significantly related with the hardness (r= 0.6870). From these results, the factors contributing the textural difference between wild and cultured fish meat would be the lipid and collagen contents, and two ways to improve the texture of cultured fish meat could be suggested. One is to lower the lipid content by feed control, and the other is to raise the collagen content by inducing more fish movement.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.965-970
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between instrumental tenderness parameters and histochemical characteristics in the porcine longissimus dorsi muscle, and to investigate a comparison between tenderness parameters such as the Warner-Bratzler shear-force (WBS) and texture profile analysis (TPA). A negative relationship between WBS and fiber area was observed. However, there was no significant relationship between hardness and muscle fiber area. The percentage of fiber type IIb exhibited a positive correlation with hardness. There was a negative relationship between the type IIa composition percentage and hardness. This study showed that some muscle fiber characteristics were related to WBS and TPA parameters, especially hardness.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.427-452
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• 1998

To elucidate the effects of food texture such as hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness on mastication procedure, the electromyographic activity (EMG) of the masticatory muscles and the chewing movements were analyzed in eighteen young subjects during ordinary chewing. Seven different foods were selected by sensory texture profiling and mechanical test with texturometer; egg white, sausage, pizza cheese, yang-geng, biscuit, peanut and almond. The indexes of jaw movements used were the chewing number, chewing time, maximum opening, average opening, closing velocity and opening velocity. The EMG indexes analyzed were maximum and average integrated amplitude of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles. The results obtained were as follows. 1. The chewing time and chewing number, mandibular displacement and mandibular movement velocity were not changed by the hardness, cohesiveness and adhesiveness of the food (p>0.05). 2. The harder food materials showed a higher amplitude of the anterior temporal muscle integrated EMGs than the softer ones (p<0.05). 3. The maximum and average integrated EMGs of the masseter muscle increased with the increase of hardness of the food (p<0.05). 4. The integrated EMGs of preferred side and non-preferred side masticatory muscles increased with the increase of hardness of the food (p<0.05). 5. The adhesiveness and cohesiveness of the food were not the determining factor to the integrated EMGs of masticatory muscles (p<0.05).

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.277-283
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• 2015

In this study, we evaluated the muscle tension in hemiplegia patients using a real-time monitoring system combined with high-intensity laser treatment (HILT) device. Five hemiplegia patients were treated with HILT in the left forearm muscle for 8 minutes, and the muscle was relaxed for 8 minutes following the treatment. Both the gradient of the force-displacement curves and the muscle hardness decreased during the therapy, and the effects were maintained following the treatment. The results show that muscle tension decreased rapidly during laser irradiation, and the efficacy of the treatment depended on the duration of the illness. Consequently, we conclude that this combined HILT and real-time muscle tension monitoring system is useful for evaluating the therapeutic procedure and for treatment of muscle pain.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2020

Objective: Shoes midsole are crucial for reducing impact forces on the lower extremity when someone is running. Previous studies report that the cushioning of running shoes make it possible to use less muscular energies. However, the well cushioned shoes result in energy loss as the shoe midsole is compressed. Cushioning reduces the load on the body, it also results in the use of more muscle energy to create propulsion force. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the difference of shoe hardness & resilience on the running. Method: Shoes midsole are crucial for reducing impact forces on the lower extremity when someone is running. Previous studies report that the cushioning of running shoes make it possible to use less muscular energies. However, the well cushioned shoes result in energy loss as the shoe midsole is compressed. Cushioning reduces the load on the body, it also results in the use of more muscle energy to create propulsion force. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the difference of shoe hardness & resilience on the running. Results: In vastus lateralis muscle Activation, Type 55 were significantly higher for Type 50 and X (p=0.019, p=0.045). In Gluteus Maximus muscle activation, Type 55 was significantly lower for type 50 (p=0.005). In loading late, Type 55 and X were significantly higher for type 45 (p=0.008, p=0.006). Conclusion: The components of a shoe are very complex, and there can be many differences in manufacturing as well. Although some differences can be found in the biomechanical variables of the high elastic midsole, it is difficult to interpret the performance enhancement and injury prevention.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.413-420
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare different kinds of outdoor walking shoes in terms of muscle fatigue and ground reaction force on walking, and to provide foundational data for developing and choosing outdoor walking shoes that fit the users. Method: The study subjects were 30 healthy men. The experiment was conducted by using outdoor walking shoes with different inner and outer harnesses of the midsole, and shapes of the outsole. For data collection, electromyography was used to measure the muscle fatigue of the anterior tibial muscle and gastrocnemii, which contribute to the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the ankle joint, and the biceps muscle of the thigh and lateral great muscles, which contribute to the flexion and extension of the knee joint. A GRF measurement device was used to measure the X, Y, and Z axes. Results: In the type A outdoor walking shoes, regarding the hardness of the midsole, the inner part was soft, while the outer part was hard. The vertical ground reaction force was the lowest, which means least impact while walking and light load to the knees and ankles. The type C outdoor walking shoes were intended to provide a good feel in wearing the shoes. The tibialis anterior, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemii indicate low fatigue, which means that during a long-distance walk, it will minimize the fatigue in the muscles of the lower limbs. Conclusion: To sum up the study results, the different types of outdoor walking shoes indicate their unique characteristics in the biomechanical comparison and analysis. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Thus, a systematic and constant follow-up research should be conducted to cope with expanding market for outdoor walking shoes. Lastly, this study is expected to present foundational data and directions for developing outdoor walking shoes.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1994

Effects of blanching on protein composition and texture in geoduck muscle during frozen storage at $-20^{\circ}C$ were investigated. In frozen muscle, sarcoplasmic protein and myofibrillar protein were decreased, while alkali-soluble protein increased rapidly. During the storage of the blanched muscle(at $95^{\circ}C$ for 2 min.), sarcoplasmic and myofibrilla protein showed slow decreases. The muscle blanched for 2 min(BM) showed the best texture among the samples treated with various blanching times(at $95^{\circ}C$ for 1, 2, 3, and mins). In comparing the textures of BM with raw muscle, hardness of BM was similar raw muscle, and elasticity and stress relaxation of BM revealed lower levels than those of raw muscle, but break elongation and toughness were higher. In the changes of texture of raw muscle and BM during the frozen storage, as the storage time lengthened, hardness and toughness of both muscles were stronger, and both stress relaxations showed greatly decreases during initial storage(7 days), and break elongation level of raw muscle showed rapid increases in 100 days but there were no changes in that of BM, Elasticity of raw muscle gradually reduced during storage while that of BM increased.