Effect of adipose tissue thickness, muscle site, and sex on near-infrared spectroscopy derived total-hemoglobin + myoglobin

Craig JC, Broxterman RM, Wilcox SL, Chen C, Barstow TJ. Effect of adipose tissue thickness, muscle site, and sex on near-infrared spectroscopy derived total-hemoglobin + myoglobin. J Appl Physiol 123: 1571–1578, 2017. First published September 21, 2017; doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00207.2017 .—Adipose tissue thickness (ATT) attenuates signals from near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and diminishes the absolute quantification of underlying tissues by contemporary NIRS devices. Based on the relationship between NIRS-derived total-hemoglobin + myoglobin (total-Hb + Mb) and ATT, we tested the hypotheses that the correction factor for ATT 1) is muscle site specific; 2) does not differ between men and women; and that 3) exclusion of the shortest source-detector distance from data analysis increases total-Hb + Mb. Fourteen healthy subjects (7 men) rested in a neutral body position (supine or prone) while measurements of total-Hb + Mb and ATT were taken at four muscles common to resting and exercise studies: vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), gastrocnemius (GS), and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS). ATT averaged 6.0 ± 0.4 mm across all muscles. Every muscle showed a negative slope ( r 2 : 0.6–0.94; P < 0.01) for total-Hb + Mb as a function of ATT: VL (−34 μM/mm), RF (−26 μM/mm), GS (−54 μM/mm), and FDS (−33 μM/mm). The projected total-Hb + Mb at 0 mm ATT ( y-intercept) was 452, 372, 620, and 456 μM for VL, RF, GS, and FDS, respectively. No differences were found between the sexes within VL, RF, or FDS, but men had a greater projected total-Hb + Mb at 0 mm for GS (688 ± 44 vs. 552 ± 40 μM; P < 0.05). Exclusion of the shortest source-detector distance increased total-Hb + Mb by 12 ± 1 μM ( P < 0.05). The present findings demonstrate that total-Hb + Mb should be corrected for ATT using muscle site-specific factors which are not sex specific, except in the case of GS. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an important tool for physiologists and clinicians. However, adipose tissue greatly attenuates the signals from these devices. Correcting for this attenuation has been suggested based on the strength of the relationship between NIRS-derived measurements and the adipose tissue thickness. We show that this relationship is unique to the muscle site of interest but may not be sex specific. Accurate quantification of underlying tissue mandates researchers correct for adipose tissue thickness.