Taurine and Methylprednisolone Administration at Close Proximity to the Onset of Muscle Degeneration Is Ineffective at Attenuating Force Loss in the Hind-Limb of 28 Days Mice.

An increasing number of studies have shown supplementation with the amino acid taurine to have promise in ameliorating dystrophic symptoms in the mouse model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Here we build on this limited body of work by investigating the efficacy of supplementing mice with taurine postnatally at a time suggestive of when dystrophic symptoms would begin to manifest in humans, and when treatments would likely begin. mice were given either taurine ( tau), the steroid alpha methylprednisolone (PDN), or tau + PDN ( tau + PDN).

Benefits of Prenatal Taurine Supplementation in Preventing the Onset of Acute Damage in the Mdx Mouse.

Introduction: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a debilitating muscle wasting disorder with no cure. Safer supplements and therapies are needed to improve the severity of symptoms, as severe side effects are associated with the only effective treatment, corticosteroids. The amino acid taurine has shown promise in ameliorating dystrophic symptoms in mdx mice, an animal model of DMD, however little work is in 21-28 (d)ay animals, the period of natural peak damage.

Ipsilateral corticomotor responses are confined to the homologous muscle following cross-education of muscular strength.

Cross-education of strength occurs when strength-training 1 limb increases the strength of the untrained limb and is restricted to the untrained homologous muscle. Cortical circuits located ipsilateral to the trained limb might be involved. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine the corticomotor responses from the untrained homologous (biceps brachii) and nonhomologous (flexor carpi radialis) muscle following strength-training of the right elbow flexors.

Adaptations in corticospinal excitability and inhibition are not spatially confined to the agonist muscle following strength training.

Purpose: We used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine the corticospinal responses from an agonist and synergist muscle following strength training of the right elbow flexors.

Methods: Motor-evoked potentials were recorded from the biceps brachii and flexor carpi radialis during a submaximal contraction from 20 individuals (10 women, 10 men, aged 18-35 years; training group; n = 10 and control group; n = 10) before and after 3 weeks of strength training at 80% of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM). To characterise the input-output properties of the corticospinal tract, stimulus-response curves for corticospinal excitability and inhibition of the right biceps brachii and flexor carpi radialis were constructed and assessed by examining the area under the recruitment curve (AURC).

The effect of taurine and β-alanine supplementation on taurine transporter protein and fatigue resistance in skeletal muscle from mdx mice.

This study investigated the effect of taurine and β-alanine supplementation on muscle function and muscle taurine transporter (TauT) protein expression in mdx mice. Wild-type (WT) and mdx mice (5 months) were supplemented with taurine or β-alanine for 4 weeks, after which in vitro contractile properties, fatigue resistance and force recovery, and the expression of the TauT protein and proteins involved in excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling were examined in fast-twitch muscle. There was no difference in basal TauT protein expression or basal taurine content between mdx than WT muscle.

Cross-education of wrist extensor strength is not influenced by non-dominant training in right-handers.

Purpose: Cross-education of strength has been proposed to be greater when completed by the dominant limb in right handed humans. We investigated whether the direction of cross-education of strength and corticospinal plasticity are different following right or left limb strength training in right-handed participants.

Methods: Changes in strength, muscle thickness and indices of corticospinal plasticity were analyzed in 23 adults who were exposed to 3-weeks of either right-hand strength training (RHT) or left-hand strength training (LHT).

Taurine supplementation increases skeletal muscle force production and protects muscle function during and after high-frequency in vitro stimulation.

Recent studies report that depletion and repletion of muscle taurine (Tau) to endogenous levels affects skeletal muscle contractility in vitro. In this study, muscle Tau content was raised above endogenous levels by supplementing male Sprague-Dawley rats with 2.5% (wt/vol) Tau in drinking water for 2 wk, after which extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were examined for in vitro contractile properties, fatigue resistance, and recovery from fatigue after two different high-frequency stimulation bouts.

Effect of six weeks of dura disc and mini-trampoline balance training on postural sway in athletes with functional ankle instability.

Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) is one of the most common injuries incurred during sporting activities, and effective rehabilitation programs for this condition are challenging to develop. The purpose of this research was to compare the effect of 6 weeks of balance training on either a mini-trampoline or a dura disc on postural sway and to determine if the mini-trampoline or the dura disc is more effective in improving postural sway. Twenty subjects (11 men, 9 women) with a mean age of 25.