• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.153-161
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• 2016

Chronic alcoholic myopathy is one of the most common skeletal muscle disorders. It is characterized by a reduction in the entire skeletal musculature, skeletal muscle weakness, and difficulties in gait. Patients with alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis have severe muscle loss that contributes to worsening outcome. Although the myopathy selectively affects Type II (fast twitch, glycolytic, anaerobic) skeletal muscle fibers, total skeletal musculature is reduced. The severity of the muscle atrophy is proportional to the duration and amount of alcohol consumed and leads to decreased muscle strength. The mechanisms for the myopathy are generally unknown but it is not due to overt nutritional deficiency, nor due to either neuropathy or severe liver disease. Skeletal muscle mass and protein content are maintained by a balance between protein synthesis and breakdown and in vivo animal models studies have shown that ethanol inhibits skeletal muscle protein synthesis. Daekumeumja is a traditional Korean medicine that is widely employed to treat various alcohol-induced diseases. Muscle diseases are often related to liver diseases and conditions. The main objective of this study was to assess that Daekumeumja extract could have protective effect against alcoholic myopathy in a Sprague-Dawley rat model. Rats were orally given 25% ethanol (5ml/kg, body weight) for 8 weeks. After 30 minutes, rats were administrated with Daekumeumja extract. Controls were similarly administrated with the vehicle alone. The weights of gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles were assessed and the morphologic changes of gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles were also assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. In results, The muscles from ethanol treated rats displayed a significant reduction in muscle weight and average cross section area compared to Normal group. Daekumeumja extract treated group showed increased muscle weight and muscle fiber compared to the ethanol treated group. It was concluded that Daekumeumja extract showed ameliorating effects on chronic alcohol myopathy in skeletal muscle.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.43-50
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• 2002

This study was designed to identify the effects of walking conditions (normal walking vs. toe-walking) on electromyographic (EMG) activity of gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and soleus muscle. Seven healthy adult males participated in this study. The exclusion criteria were orthopedic or neurologic disease, congenital anomaly or acquired deformity, or pain in low back or lower extremities. The maximal voluntary isometric contraction for each muscle was used for the reference contraction, and EMG activity of each muscle during normal walking and toe-walking was expressed as a percentage of reference contraction. The gait cycle was determined with two foot switches, and gait was normalized as 100% gait cycle for each condition. The maximal values of EMG activity in terminal stance (30~50% of gait cycle) of each condition were compared for data analysis. No significant differences were found in EMG activity of the tibialis anterior and soleus (p>.05), whereas significant decrement was found in EMG activity of gastrocnemius during toe-walking compared to normal walking (p<.05). There is a limitation to generalize the results of this study, because small number of subjects participated for this study and only EMG was used for data collection. The treatment methods should be developed to improve gait efficiency by substituting the weakened muscles secondary to upper motor neuron, or by strengthening the distal muscles in lower extremity.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.82-89
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• 2010

Ankle-foot orthosis with an artificial pneumatic muscle which is intended for the assistance of plantarfelxion torque was developed. In this study, power pattern of the device in the various pneumatics and the effectiveness of the system were investigated. The pneumatic power was provided by ankle-foot orthosis controlled by user‘s physiological signal, that is, muscular stiffness in soleus muscle. This pneumatic power can assist plantarflexion torque of ankle joint. The subjects performed maximal voluntary isokinetic plantarflexion motion on a biodexdynamometer in different pneumatics, and they completed three conditions: 1) without wearing the orthosis, 2) wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, 3) wearing the orthosis activated under muscular stiffness control. Through these experiments, we confirmed the effectiveness of the orthosis and muscular stiffness control using the analyzing isokinetic plantarflexion torque. The experimental results showed that isokinetic torques of plantarflexion motion of the ankle joints gradually increased in incremental pneumatic. The effectiveness of the orthosis was -7.26% and the effectiveness of the muscular stiffness control was 17.83% in normalized isokinetic plantarflexion torque. Subjects generated the less isokinetic torques of the ankle joints in wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, but isokinetic torques were appropriately reinforced in condition of wearing the orthosis activated under muscular stiffness control(17.83%) compared to wearing the orthosis(-7.26%). Therefore, we respect that developed powered orthosis is applied in the elderly that has weak muscular power as the rehabilitation equipment.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.159-175
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• 2002

The effect of Panax ginseng administration in muscle inflammatory process induced after eccentric exercise, that causes myofibrillar disruption, was studied. Changes in lipid peroxidation, inflammation, glycogen levels in muscle and release of myocellular proteins to blood were measured. The analyses were performed immediately after eccentric exercise and over week since this period are necessary for the muscle damage-repair cycle. The ginseng extract $(100\;mg\;kg^{-1})$ was orally administered to rats for three months, before the eccentric exercise performance. The results showed the protective role of ginseng against skeletal muscle damage. This effect could be associated with their membrane stabilising capacity since creatine kinase (CK) activity was significantly decreased 96 h post-exercise from $523{\pm}70\;to\;381{\pm}53$ and 120 h post-exercise from $443{\pm}85\;to\;327{\pm}75$ in treated animals. ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity, as indicator of inflammation, showed a significant reduction of about $15-25\%$ in soleus, vastus and triceps in these post-exercise times. The lipid peroxidation, measured by malondyaldehyde levels, was significantly decreased in the 24 h postexercise period in soleus and vastus intermedius muscles and on the recovery period. Finally ginseng administration reduced significantly the decrease of the glycogen levels immediately after exercise and when the regenerative process took place (72-168 h post exercise). Collectively, the results have showed that ginseng did not inhibit the vital inflammatory response process associated with the muscle damage-repair cycle but presumably ameliorate the injury.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.68-74
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• 2019

Objectives: Cultivated wild ginseng (cWG), called SanYangSanSam, has been used clinically in patients with chronic fatigue in Korea. Little is known about effects of the ginseng distilled (volatile) components produced during evaporizaiton. Recently, we first identified one major component from cWG distilled extract, panaxydol, by using mass spectrometry. However, functional properties of cWG distilled extract and panaxydol remains elusive. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effect of cWG distilled extract or panaxydol on exercise-induced fatigue in rats. Methods: Fatigue was induced by forced swimming and the immobility time was analyzed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The animals received intraperitoneally either vehicle, cWG distilled extract, or panaxydol 10 min prior to beginning of the forced swimming test (FST) once daily for 5 days. After the FST on day 5, we also analyzed fatigue-related biochemical levels including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactate acid (LAC), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum and levels of glycogen in liver and soleus muscle. Results: The forced swimming time in cWG distilled extract (0.6 mL/kg)-treated group was significantly longer than that of control group on day 4 and 5. Panaxydol (0.1 and 0.25 mg/kg)-treated groups showed significantly enhanced performance in the forced swimming, compared to control. In addition, a significant decrease in serum LDH level was found in panaxydol-treated group, while there were no alternations in levels of serum BUN and LAC and glycogen in liver or soleus muscle. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated cWG distilled extract and its active component panaxydol have a function of anti-fatigue.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of endurance training and prolonged L-arginine supplementation on blood glucose, blood insulin, muscle glycogen, muscle glycogen synthase (GS), muscle nitric oxide (NO), muscle nitric oxide synthase (NOS), endurance performance. We equally divided 36 Sprague-Dawley mice to be distributed into control group, L-NMMA treated group and L-arginine treated group. The L-arginine treated group and L-NMMA treated group consumed 10 mg/kg/day of L-arginine and 5 mg/kg/day of L-NMMA for 6 weeks period. Mice of control group, L-arginine treated group, and L-NMMA treated groups performed swimming exercise training for 60 min once a day, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Blood glucose had tendency to increase in L-arginine treated group than the control group, and insulin significantly increased in L-arginine treated group than the control group. L-arginine treated group showed significant increase in glycogen, GS, NO and NOS in the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle compared to the control group. Whereas L-NMMA treated group showed the lowest glycogen, GS, NO and NOS in the gastrocnemius muscle and soleus muscle compared to control group and L-arginine treated group. Exhaustive swimming time had tendency to increase in L-arginine treated group compared to the value for control group. These reults indicate that endurance training and prolonged L-arginine supplementation appear to be effective in exhancing nitric oxide production, glycogen concentration and endurance performance.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.145-150
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• 2023

Purpose: This study examined the effects of ankle control training using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), leg muscle activation, and balance in stroke patients. Methods: Thirty-one stroke patients diagnosed with cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage were selected for the study. The experimental group underwent ankle control training using NMES, while the control group applied NMES to the paretic tibialis anterior muscle for 30 minutes per session, five times a week for four weeks. The muscle activity changes were measured using surface electromyography, and balance parameters were evaluated using a functional reach test (FRT). Results: The intra-group comparison of the concentric muscle activity revealed improvements in the experimental group, including paretic tibialis anterior (TA) muscle (p<0.05), medial gastrocnemius muscle (MG) (p<0.01), and lateral gastrocnemius muscle (LG) (p<0.05), as well as MG (p<0.05), LG (p<0.05), soleus muscle (p<0.05) of the non-paretic side, and soleus muscle symmetry index (p<0.05). The intra-group comparison of the eccentric muscle activity showed improvements in the experimental group, including MG (p<0.01) and LG (p<0.01) of the paretic side, as well as MG (p<0.01), LG (p<0.01) of the non-paretic side, and LG symmetry index (p<0.01). The intra-group comparison of the functional reach test revealed significant differences in the test results in the experimental and control groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Ankle control training using NMES had a positive effect on the changes in muscle activation and improved balance in patients with stroke.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.113-128
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of eccentric training applied to the calf muscles on muscle tone, muscle strength, and gait variables in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Twenty-two participants were divided into experimental (n=12; eccentric training) and control (n=10; static stretching and stretching board) groups. The participants completed 30-minute physical therapy sessions five times a week for three weeks. Calf muscle tone, muscle strength, and gait variables were measured using MyotonPRO, a hand-held dynamometer, and Optogait, respectively, before and after each intervention. Results: Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant interaction effect between measurement points and groups in frequency, stiffness, and decrement of the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles (p<.05). Paired t-tests showed that the experimental group exhibited significantly decreased frequency and stiffness scores for the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles (p<.05), as well as significantly increased decrement and muscle strength scores, gait speed, step length, and stride length (p<.05). Conclusion: The application of eccentric training to the calf effectively reduced muscle tone, increased muscle strength, and improved the gait speed, step length, and stride length of patients with chronic stroke.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.137-154
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• 1997

The aim of the present investigation has, been to evaluate the depletion pattern of the supercompensated glycogen of hindlimb muscles during strenous exercise in rats. The plan of the maximizing muscle glycogen stores is based on the fact that a glycogen-depleted muscle by exercise will have an increased avidity for glycogen when exposed to a high carbohydrate diet. The glycogen concentration of soleus, red gastrocnemius and plantaris muscle, and liver was measured at 0, 30 and 60 minutes during treadmill exercise. The experimental animals were divided into 5 group - Normal(N), Control(C), 1Hour(1HR:after 1hour of glucose ingestion), 2Hour(2HR:after 2hour of glucose ingestion) and Exercise-1Hour(EX-1HR:glucose ingestion after 1 hour of preloading treadmill exercise)group - for glycogen storage study. The glycogen concentration of soleus, red gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles in N group was $4.57{\pm}0.34$, 5.11+0.24 and $6.55{\pm}0.20mg/gm\;wet\;wt.$, respectively. The glycogen concentration of soleus and red gastrocnemius in EX-1HR group were about 1.9 and 1.8 times than that of N group, respectively, but the concentration of plantaris was not higher than that of N group. The glycogen concentration of liver in N group was $41.0{\pm}1.47mg/gm\;wet\;wt.$ and the concentration of the overnight fasted C group was only 2.9% of the value of N group. The level of glycogen concentration of liver in the other glucose ingested groups(1HR, 2HR, including EX-1HR) was within 19 - 32% of that of N group. The blood glucose concentration of EX-1HR group was higher than that of N group, the plasma free fatty acid concentration of C and 2HR group was higher than that of N group, and the plasma insulin concentration of EX-1HR group was higher than that of N group. The concentrations of supercompensated glycogen of soleus and red gastrocnemius were rapidly decreased during 30 minutes of exercise but there was almost no changes of the concentration during the other 30 minutes of continuing exercise. The concentration of N group during 30 minutes of exercise was decreased but more slowly than those of EX-1HR group. The remaining level of glycogen after 60 minutes of exercise in EX-1HR group was higher than that of N group. Taken together, the mobilization of endogenous muscle glycogen at the first stage of exercise was proportioned to the initial level of glycogen concentration, and later on, when exercise continued, the muscle glycogen level was stabilized. And the remaining level of supercompensated muscle glycogen after 60 minutes of exercise was higher than that of normally stored glycogen level. The mobilization of the glycogen stroed in slow and fast oxidative muscle fibers is faster than in the fast glycolytic muscle fibers during strenous exercise.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.9-19
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• 1998

연구목적 이 연구의 목적은 피로유발수축후 장딴지근과 가자미근의 근전도 power spectrum 중앙경항치를 비교 검사하는 것이다. 실험대상 열 여섯명의 자원자(남자 10, 여자 6)를 대상으로 하였다. 남자 대상자의 연령범위는 25세에서 33세(평균 $28.6{\pm}2.5$)였고 여자 대상자의 연령범위는 26세에서 31세($27.8{\pm}1.9$)였다. 실험방법 실험대상자는 피로유발수축전후 50% 최대등척성근수축을 수행하였다. 자료수집과 분석을 위해 LabVIEW 소프트웨어를 사용하였다. 결과 t-검정결과 내측 장딴지근에서는 피로유발수축후 주파수의 중위값과 평균이 통계적으로 유의하게 감소하였으나 가자미근에서는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다. t-검정결과 두 근육간 주파수 감소의 차이는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 있었다. 토의 및 결론 이 결과들은 피로유발수축후 근전도 power spectrum 중앙경향치가 저주파대역으로 감소함을 나타내었다. 이 연구는 중앙주파수와 평균주파수가 피로지수로서의 신뢰도와 타당도가 뛰어나며 객관적 측정과 훈련효과 평가로 사용할수 있음을 보였다.