Issue 24-5, 2025

Original article

https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2025-24-5-57-65

Masticatory Muscle Activity in Individuals with Restrained Eating Behavior: a Cross-Sectional Study

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a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3704-988X" target="_blank">ORCID Vasily V. Smirnov *, ORCID Sergey V. Popov , ORCID Daria S. Khramova , Elizaveta A. Chistiakova, Natalya V. Zueva, Inga M. Velskaya, Bronislav F. Dernovoj

Institute of Physiology of Komi Science Centre of the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia


ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION.  The prevalence of overweight and obesity has long been a global public health problem that becomes more acute every year. To increase the effectiveness of weight loss programs based on dietary restriction, including those used in the health resort treatment, it is necessary to take into account individual physiological characteristics associated with restrained eating behavior.

AIM.  To measure electromyographic (EMG) parameters of masticatory muscle activity in restrained eaters during an agar chewing test.

MATERIALS AND METHODS.  A cross-sectional study was conducted with 129 untrained participants (83 women and 46 men, mean age 32.4 ± 8.1 years) who were categorized as non-restrained (control) and restrained eaters based on scores on the restrained scale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. EMG parameters of masticatory, temporalis, and suprahyoid muscle activity were determined in the initial, middle, and final phases of the chewing test.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.  Restrained eaters chewed agar gels with the same frequency (1.40 vs. 1.44 sec-1, p = 0.305), using the same number of chewing movements (31.9 vs. 35.0 times, p = 0.979) and duration of chewing (23.2 vs. 24.2 s, p = 0.710) in comparison to controls. The maximal and mean amplitudes of the masseter muscle signal in restrained eaters were 17 % lower than in controls, despite the chewing cycle duration and frequency being similar. Regardless of eating behavior, the maximal and mean amplitudes of the EMG signal of contraction in the temporalis muscle were 18–21 % and 15–17 % lower than those in the masseter muscle, respectively. The maximal amplitude of the suprahyoid muscle’s EMG signal showed no differences across groups; however, the mean amplitude was 18 % lower in restrained eaters compared to controls. The activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles was reduced in the initial phases of chewing, whereas the activity of the suprahyoid muscles was reduced in the final phase of bolus formation and swallowing.

CONCLUSION.  Restrained eaters demonstrated reduced masticatory muscle activation in the chewing test. It is advisable to identify restrained eating behavior and assess chewing function when prescribing calorie-restricted dietary therapy to patients in health resort treatments. Medical rehabilitation of patients with restrained eating behavior should include the use of treatment technologies aimed at restoring the activity of the masticatory muscles.


KEYWORDS: restrained eating behavior, chewing test, electromyography, masseter muscle, temporalis muscle, suprahyoid muscles

FOR CITATION:

Smirnov V.V., Popov S.V., Khramova D.S., Chistiakova E.A., Zueva N.V., Velskaya I.M., Dernovoj B.F. Masticatory Muscle Activity in Individuals with Restrained Eating Behavior: a Cross-Sectional Study. Bulletin of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2025; 24(5):57–65. https://doi.org/10.38025/2078-1962-2025-24-5-57-65 (In Russ.).] 

FOR CORRESPONDENCE:

Vasily V. Smirnov, Е-mail: smirnowich@yandex.ru, smirnov@physiol.komisc.ru


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This is an open article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by the National Medical Research Center for Rehabilitation and Balneology.