THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A unique process to assess muscle composition, that could help athletes choose the most appropriate sporting discipline, has won researchers of NSS Engineering College, Palakkad, a patent from the Government of India.
At present, muscle composition is determined via invasive procedures such as muscle biopsies, which involve extracting tissue samples from the body. These methods are expensive and time-consuming, making them unsuitable for widespread application.
In contrast, the new method seeks to establish differences in muscle composition by assessing the electrical signals received from the skin surface. This is billed as a better and cheaper option. The innovation will help in identifying athletes’ suitability for international competitions by analysing their muscle structure early in their careers.
It will also be useful in muscle-related research and treatments. Prof Venugopal G from instrumentation and control engineering department at the college led the research, which was supported by Prof S Ramakrishnan of IIT Madras. In addition to the two professors, scholars Remya R Nair and Divya Sasidharan were also part of the team.
“This technology will assist sports coaches in evaluating muscle fibre typology at the start of an athlete’s career, helping them identify strengths and optimise training methods accordingly,” Prof Venugopal said. The technology is projected to revolutionise sports science, physiotherapy, and athletic training.
It may also be adopted in clinical studies to detect muscle fibre variations caused by neuro-muscular disorders. Venugopal said the next step is to translate the process into an instrument that can assess the electrical signals received from the skin surface.