To Study Correlation of Waist Circumference and Muscle Fatigue in Young Adults Using Mosso’s Erograph

Background: Obesity is greatly associated with functional limitations in muscular performance and increased likelihood of developing functional disability like mobility, strength, postural and dynamic balance limitations. However, the consensus is that obese individuals, regardless of age, may have greater absolute maximum muscle strength as compared to lean individuals. Aim: To study association between waist circumference and muscle fatigue using Mosso’s Ergograph in lean and obese young adults. Material & Methods: This cross sectional study included 200 subjects between 18-24 years of age fulfilling inclusion criteria of age and abdominal obesity >=90 cms and exclusion of any chronic disorders. They were divided into lean group(n=100) with a waist circumference <90cm and obese group (n=100) with a waist circumference>= 90 cm and underwent fatigue test using Mosso’s Ergograph and the work done (Kgm) was calculated and correlated with waist circumference. Results: A positive correlation between waist circumference (77.66+-7.31 cm for lean and 88.38+-4.60cm for obese) and work done (3.61+-1.28 Kg.m in lean and 3.39+-1.74 in obese) which was found to be r= 0.42 for lean and r= 0.68for obese individuals was observed and was found to be statistically significant (p=0.03) in obese but not in lean group (p=0.21). Conclusion: The results indicate that obese individuals have greater absolute maximum muscle strength and hence fatigue lesser when compared with lean individuals. Introduction Muscles are the only tissues in the body that have the ability to contract and hence move the other parts of the body. Physical activity is the one important factor which affects the skeletal muscle function. The strength of any given muscle, in terms of force exerted on the skeleton depends upon length, shortening speed, cross-sectional area, sarcomere length, myosin isoforms and neural activation of motor units. Skeletal muscle fatigue is defined as the fall of force or power in response to contractile activity. Both the mechanisms of fatigue and the modes used to elicit it vary tremendously. Obesity is greatly associated with functional limitations in muscular performance and increased likelihood of developing functional disability like mobility, strength, postural and dynamic balance limitations. Simple European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine (EJMCM) ISSN: 2515-8260 Volume 07, Issue 11, 2020 7510 anthropometric measurements have been used as surrogate measurements of obesity and have more practical value in both clinical practice and for large-scale epidemiological studies. Waist circumference is a simple anthropometric measurement that provides a unique indicator of body fat distribution, which helps in identifying patients who are at increased risk for obesity-related cardiometabolic disease, above and beyond the measurement of BMI. The aim of this study was to find a correlation, if any, between waist circumference and fatigability in lean and obese young adults using Mosso’s Ergograph. Material and Methods:  This cross-sectional study was done at Rajarshi Dashrath Autonomous State Medical College, Ayodhya in the Department of Physiology. The study was conducted after taking ethical clearance from the institutional ethical committee.  Study Population: 200 Young healthy attendants of patients visiting the OPD of Rajarshi Dashrath Autonomous State Medical College, Ayodhya between 18-24 years of age were selected for the study. A waist circumference >= 90cm for obese and <= 90cm for lean individuals was taken into account. A written informed consent was taken and subjects were explained the procedure in detail. Individuals with a history of alcohol, tobacco consumption and on drugs (corticosteroids, beta blockers), history of any apparently known chronic diseases,any upper limb physical disability or any mental illness were excluded from the study. The first 100 subjects with a waist circumference < 90cm were taken as lean group (N = 100) and the next 100 with a waist circumference > or = 90cm as obese group (N = 100) They underwent fatigue test using Mosso’s Ergograph. The subject’s forearm was fixed on the ergograph using clamps. The middle finger was put in the loop to pull a weight of 2 kg and the index and ring fingers were inserted into fixed metal tubes provided in the ergograph. The sliding plate is fitted with a chart holder. A pencil or a pen was fitted vertically over the chart paper so as to record the movements of the chart holder when it moved. Thereafter, the subject was asked to make a series of maximal contractions without moving the shoulders until fatigue was so great that the weight could no longer be pulled. Muscle fatigue was calculated as a function of work done by the exercising muscles in kilo gram and was correlated with waist circumference. Work done was calculated by the formula (6)