Anaerobic Power and Muscle Strength in Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Positive Preadolescents

Abstract

Objective To determine the anaerobic power and muscle strength of preadolescents with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Design Cross-sectional design. Setting Human performance laboratory at the University District Hospital at the Puerto Rico Medical Center. Participants Fifteen preadolescents (8 girls and 7 boys) with a classification of HIV A and B attending an investigational treatment program at the University Pediatric Hospital. Fifteen seronegative control subjects matched by age and gender also were included. Main Outcome Measures The power of the lower extremities was measured with use of the Wingate Anaerobic Power Test on a MONARK cycle ergometer (mean power in watts). Local muscle strength of the dominant knee extensors (peak torque/body weight × 100) was tested with an isokinetic dynamometer set at 60 deg/s. Statistical analysis was performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and statistical significance was accepted at an α level of <.05. Results No significant differences between the control group and study group were detected on muscle strength testing. The study group presented a lower anaerobic power (mean power) compared with control subjects (P = .04). Conclusions This exploratory study suggests that HIV-infected preadolescents present lower anaerobic power compared with uninfected control subjects. Our findings of impaired anaerobic capacity can have clinical implications in this population because most of the activities of daily living, such as play, leisure, and sport activities, are short term and high intensity (anaerobic) in nature.

Older age at initiation of antiretroviral therapy predicts low bone mineral density in children with perinatally-infected HIV in Zimbabwe

“…Furthermore, neither muscle mass nor function was associated with bone density, suggesting that muscle is not affected in the same way as bone in the context of longstanding paediatric HIV infection. A small study of 15 Puerto Rican CWH also found CWH to have similar lower limb muscle strength to uninfected controls [33]. Although, a more recent Canadian study which assessed lower limb muscle function by jumping mechanography, in a population 2 years older than ours (n = 35), did find an albeit small difference in lower limb muscle power [13].…”

Older age at Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy Predicts Low Bone Mineral Density in Children with perinatally-infected HIV in Zimbabwe

“…Furthermore, neither muscle mass or function were associated with bone density, suggesting that muscle is not affected in the same way as bone in the context of longstanding paediatric HIV infection. A small study of 15 Puerto Rican CWH were also found to have similar lower limb muscle strength to uninfected controls 33 . Although, a more recent Canadian study which assessed lower limb muscle function by jumping mechanography, in a population 2 years older than ours (n=35), did find an albeit small difference in lower limb muscle power 13 .…”

Comparison of Muscle Strength, Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition between Healthy Adolescents and Those Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Muscle strength was evaluated in only two studies [ 6 , 26 ], in which one study used the maximum repetition evaluation test, while the other study used the isokinetic strength test to quantify lower limb muscle strength. The studies that evaluated strength had a total of 111 participants (60 with HIV and 51 healthy controls).…”

“…Body composition was assessed in four of the five included studies. Of these, three used the anthropometric method and only one study used the DXA method, which is the gold standard for this evaluation [ 6 , 11 , 26 , 28 ]. The studies included 382 participants (197 infected with HIV and 185 healthy controls).…”