title: Gender-specific neuromuscular adaptations to unloading in isolated rat soleus muscles.
abstract: The potential of gender to affect unloading-induced neuromuscular adaptations was investigated.
  
  
  
  Twenty male and 20 female rats were assigned to control (CTL), or unloaded (UL) conditions. After 2 weeks of unloading, soleus muscles were removed, and neuromuscular function was assessed during a train of alternating indirect (neural) and direct (muscle) stimuli.
  
  
  
  In rested muscle, strength showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) main effects for gender (male > female) and treatment (CTL > UL). By the end of the testing protocol, when muscles showed fatigue, gender-related and treatment-related differences in strength had disappeared. Neuromuscular transmission efficiency and strength suffered a greater decline during the testing protocol in males than females. Unloaded male muscles displayed greater contractile velocity than female muscles both when rested and fatigued.
  
  
  
  Gender affected unloading-induced neuromuscular adaptations. The greater strength of rested male muscles was due to greater muscle mass and neuromuscular transmission efficiency. Muscle Nerve 54: 300-307, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23187-8795, USA.|Program in Neuroscience, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Deschenes
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23187-8795, USA.
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Leathrum
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019415:Torque
keywords: disuse; myofiber; neuromuscular junction; strength; unweighting