[Longitudinal component of gastric motility: its relationship to peristaltic velocity and contractility....

The aim of this study was to further characterize the gastric longitudinal motility and its relationship between the peristaltic velocity and contractility. Twelve healthy volunteers (six made sport S and six were sedentary NS; moy +/- DS; 24 +/- 2.4 years; 172 +/- 3.9 cm; 65.8 +/- 3.4 kg; n = 12) were involved and ingested 5 hours after a standard meal, 250 ml of barium sulfate suspension. A serial of 15 fluoroscopic plates (size 10 x 10 cm) was taken in 30 seconds. For each subject, the longitudinal variation delta L (cm) of gastric shape, the mean velocity V (mm/s) of gastric peristalsis and the intensity AM (p 100) of contractile wave were measured with a digitalized table connected to a computer. Compared to NS group, the S group showed significative enhanced values of the dynamic parameters (delta L: 2.9 +/- 0.4 vs 1.8 +/- 0.2 cm; V: 2.8 +/- 0.2 vs 2.3 +/- 0.2 mm/s; AM: 55.8 +/- 5.3 vs 48.3 +/- 2.8 p 100; moy +/- DS). Faster rhythms were observed in the diagram of longitudinal motility, with or without the well known gastric frequency 3 c/min. This study allows to point out longitudinal changes of the gastric shape and shows a pattern of significant augmented gastric motility. In fact, it is necessary to consider the stomach in a biomechanical system with the diaphragm and the abdominal wall. This system influenced by exercise might be studied intensively with our dynamic parameters associated with respiratory and abdominal data.