The time period during which muscles heal after injury may rely on biological sex, and applying personalized treatment may help optimize recovery, in response to a latest study. Researchers from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh will present their work this week on the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California. 

Muscle regeneration is a standard a part of the healing process after sustaining a muscle injury. A wide range of aspects can affect how quickly muscles heal, including age, exercise and biological sex.

“Men and women, each athletic and nonathletic, differ within the healing process, similar to the time course of inflammation, recovery of muscle force and period of [muscle] regeneration,” said Siyu Liu, MS, lead creator of the study. The cause for variations in healing times usually are not well understood.

Liu’s research team checked out a mouse model of muscle injury during which the muscle progressively loses mass and weakens. The research team performed muscle physiology testing to look at muscle repair and regeneration on days three and 12 post-injury. The feminine mice showed greater improvement on muscle function between the 2 testing dates than the males. This variation within the healing process could possibly be on account of estrogen levels, but uncovering the connection of hormones to muscle recovery requires additional study.

Muscle regeneration continued to progress in each sexes after day 12, indicating that treatment could still be helpful even two weeks after injury. Since the females healed more quickly, Liu suggested that males may profit from starting a treatment regimen that features exercise at an earlier point than females when faced with muscle injuries.

By understanding the difference between men and women within the healing process, medical professionals may give personalized treatment plans, including exercise and medical treatment, based on time course.”

Siyu Liu, MS, lead creator of the study

Source:

American Physiological Society (APS)