Muscle cross-sectional area and torque in resistance-trained subjects

Eight elite male bodybuilders (MB), five elite female bodybuilders (FB), eight male control (MC), and eight female control recreational weight-trainers (FC) performed maximal elbow flexions on an isokinetic dynamometer at velocities between 1.02 and 5.24 rad.s-1, from which peak torque (PT) was measured. Elbow flexor cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured by computed tomographic scanning. Flexor CSA.lean body mass-1 ratios were greater in MB than in other subject groups. Correlations of PT were positively related to CSA but negatively to CSA.lean body mass-1 and to PT.CSA-1. PT.CSA-1 at low-velocity contractions were greater in MC and FC than in MB and FB groups, suggesting a training effect. The velocity-associated declines in torque between velocities of 1.02 and 5.24 rad.s-1 averaged 28.4 +/- 0.9% and were statistically identical in men and women among the subject groups, suggesting that neither gender nor training had affected this variable.