How muscle size and inactive muscle tissue affect movement and everyday strength
Muscle Mass: a Critical but Missing Component in Muscle Modeling and Simulation
['FUNDING_R01'] · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · NIH-11115799
This project looks at how the amount and distribution of muscle — including inactive muscle tissue — changes muscle power during everyday movements to help people with mobility problems.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | HARVARD UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (CAMBRIDGE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11115799 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will measure muscle contraction speed, force, and work in animals of very different sizes (mice, rats, and goats) to learn how muscle size and inactive mass change muscle performance. They will compare whole muscles and small fiber bundles to see how muscle shape and bulging affect function. The animal results will be used to build new, mass-aware computer models of muscle that are fast enough to simulate many cycles of human movement. Those improved models will be used in large simulations of everyday activities to better predict muscle forces during daily life.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with mobility limitations or conditions that affect muscle function — for example children or adults with cerebral palsy or others who have trouble with activities of daily living — would be most likely to benefit from the resulting improvements.
Not a fit: Patients whose problems are driven by conditions unrelated to muscle mechanics (for example pure cognitive disorders) or who need an immediate clinical intervention may not see direct benefit from this basic modeling work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to more accurate tools for predicting muscle function that help improve rehabilitation plans, assistive devices, and treatments for people with movement difficulties.
How similar studies have performed: Existing musculoskeletal models have improved over time but typically omit inactive muscle mass, so this mass-focused approach is relatively new though supported by the investigators' pilot animal data.
Where this research is happening
CAMBRIDGE, UNITED STATES
- HARVARD UNIVERSITY — CAMBRIDGE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BIEWENER, ANDREW A — HARVARD UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: BIEWENER, ANDREW A
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.