Correlation between female body mass and functional movements and skeletal muscle mass

Objective: To investigate the correlation between body mass and functional movements with skeletal muscle mass and skeletal muscle distribution in women, to determine the association between body mass and functional movements with skeletal muscle mass and distribution in women, and to provide theoretical support for improving the performance of body mass and functional movements in women through dietary or exercise improvement, thus providing a basis for maintaining women's health and preventing the adverse effects of low skeletal muscle mass on health and quality of life after menopause or old age. The study was conducted in a randomized sample of Zunyi Medical College.

Methods: A number of female Zunyi medical students were randomly selected, and 78 of them (age, 20.99±2.10 years, BMI, 20.55±1.58 kg/m2) who met the criteria were screened for body composition and functional movement and tested for body mass. Correlation analysis was performed.

Results: 1) Total physical test score, spirometry score, sprint 50m score, and endurance run score were significantly correlated (P<0.05), where the correlation between total physical test score and skeletal muscle mass was moderate (r=0.45) and the other correlations were weak; 2) skeletal muscles distributed in the trunk were significantly correlated with total physical test score, spirometry score, seated forward bend score, sprint 50m score standing long jump, and endurance run score (P<0.05). (2) Skeletal muscles distributed in the trunk were significantly correlated with total physical test scores, lung capacity scores, sitting forward bend scores, sprint 50m score standing long jump, and endurance run scores (P<0.05), with the physical test scores moderately correlated with the distribution of skeletal muscles in the trunk (r=0.483) and weakly correlated with all other parts. (3) Skeletal muscle mass distributed in the right upper limb, left upper limb, trunk, right lower limb, and left lower limb were not significantly correlated with the total FMS score and each of the FMS scores.

Conclusions: 1) skeletal muscle mass was correlated with female body mass, including physiological function, burst and endurance running; 2) skeletal muscles distributed in the trunk were correlated with female body mass, including physiological function, burst and endurance; 3) female skeletal muscle mass and the distribution of skeletal muscles in the trunk could be improved through diet and exercise to improve female body mass.