Gender differences on effects of forearm rotation on compressive stiffness of flexor carpi ulnaris during submaximal handgrip contractions

Little is known about gender differences in stiffness of forearm muscles during voluntary actions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of forearm rotation on flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) stiffness in men and women during submaximal handgrip contractions. During a single session, measurements were made on 20 young participants (9 females). Two positions of the forearm were compared in random order with the elbow flexed 90 degrees: (i) neutral position and (ii) maximal supination. In each position, participants performed two submaximal handgrip contractions at 25% and 50% of maximal voluntary contraction, while compressive stiffness was collected using a hand myometer (MyotonPRO). A mixed repeated measurement ANOVA was applied to assess the interaction between gender, forearm position, and contraction intensity. The FCU stiffness is affected by handgrip contraction intensity (p < 0.001), gender (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.009), and forearm rotation (p = 0.007). Only the gender factor was found to have significant interaction with forearm rotation (p = 0.037). Men's FCU was stiffer than women's in both positions and contraction intensities (p < 0.05). Only in men a significant increase in FCU stiffness was observed when comparing contraction intensities at both forearm positions (p < 0.05), as well as when the forearm was rotated from neutral to supine at both intensities (p < 0.05). In conclusion, FCU stiffness during handgrip contraction differed significantly between men and women. Women have fewer stiffness changes in FCU when performing different levels of handgrip contraction. We also observed that only men increased FCU stiffness by changing the forearm position from neutral to supine position for both handgrip intensities.