Muscle fibre types in the human vastus lateralis muscles: do symmetrical sites differ in their composition?

Abstract

Muscle samples obtained from distinct symmetrical sites of left and right vastus lateralis muscles from 10 young healthy males were analysed. A computer-aided system was applied for the determination of muscle fibre types I, IIA, IIB and IIC and for their quantitative analysis. No statistically significant differences were established regarding percentage and surface area of all the four fibre types studied. In 2 cases of IIA and in one case of IIB fibre type significantly different diameters were measured between the left and right muscle. Regarding percentage and surface area no differences were proved between superficial and deep layers of the muscles observed. Fibre diameter but differed significantly in many muscles, there was no rule about whether it was larger in superficial or in deep muscle layers. One biopsy sample can not represent the whole muscle, especially as far as the relative number and surface area of the type IIA and IIB fibres are concerned. A slight asymmetry in fibre diameters of biopsy samples from both legs does not indicate any pathological change and can still be taken for normal.