Top

European Journal of Applied Physiology

Published in:

01-05-2019 | Original Article

The relationship between stiffness and pain following unaccustomed eccentric exercise: the effects of gentle stretch and repeated bout

Authors: Pornpimol Muanjai, Mantas Mickevicius, Sigitas Kamandulis, Audrius Snieckus, David A. Jones

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 5/2019

Abstract

Purpose

To determine how muscle stiffness and pain which develop after eccentric exercise are affected by gentle stretching and repeated exercise.

Methods

Twenty-one healthy female participants undertook eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors and changes in resting elbow flexion angle (REFA; a measure of muscle stiffness), pain on stretch scale, pain elicited by pressure (PPT pain, a measure of mechanoreceptor hypersensitivity), and upper arm girth were followed for 7 days after exercise. The effects of gentle passive stretching on pain and muscle stiffness were investigated 2 and 4 days after exercise. Eleven participants also repeated the exercise with the same arm 6 weeks after the first bout.

Results

There was a significant relationship between the pain on stretch scale and increased REFA (day 4; R² = 0.65, p < 0.001), whereas there was no relationship between REFA and PPT pain. REFA was reduced by passive stretching and pain on stretch scale was also reduced from 3.0 (1.4, 5.1) to 0.75 (0.0, 2.0) [median (IQR), p = 0.01]. PPT pain was unaffected by the passive stretching, as was muscle swelling. Following the repeated bout, increases in REFA were much reduced, as was pain on stretch scale (p = 0.02). However, PPT pain was not significantly different between the two bouts of exercise.

Conclusions

The results indicate that reductions in pain on stretch scale, either by gentle passive stretching or as the result of repeated exercise, are primarily due to reductions in muscle stiffness which develops after eccentric exercise, whereas mechanoreceptor hypersensitivity is relatively unaffected.

Available only for authorised users

Aboodarda SJ, Spence AJ, Button DC (2015) Pain pressure threshold of a muscle tender spot increases following local and non-local rolling massage. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 16:265. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-015-0729-5 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Allen DG, Whitehead NP, Yeung EW (2005) Mechanisms of stretch-induced muscle damage in normal and dystrophic muscle: role of ionic changes. J Physiol 567:723–735. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2005.091694 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Andersen LL, Jay K, Andersen CH et al (2013) Acute effects of massage or active exercise in relieving muscle soreness: randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 27:3352–3359. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182908610 CrossRefPubMed

Carmona G, Mendiguchía J, Alomar X et al (2018) Time course and association of functional and biochemical markers in severe semitendinosus damage following intensive eccentric leg curls: differences between and within subjects. Front Physiol 9:54. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00054 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Chen TC-C, Chen H-L, Pearce AJ, Nosaka K (2012) Attenuation of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage by preconditioning exercises. Med Sci Sports Exerc 44:2090–2098. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31825f69f3 CrossRefPubMed

Chen TC, Lin MJ, Chen HL et al (2018) Muscle damage protective effect by two maximal isometric contractions on maximal eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors of the contralateral arm. Scand J Med Sci Sports 28:1354–1360. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13042 CrossRefPubMed

Chleboun GS, Howell JN, Conatser RR, Giesey JJ (1998) Relationship between muscle swelling and stiffness after eccentric exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:529–535CrossRefPubMed

Clarkson PM, Byrnes WC, Gillisson E, Harper E (1987) Adaptation to exercise-induced muscle damage. Clin Sci Lond Engl 1979 73:383–386

Deyhle MR, Gier AM, Evans KC et al (2015) Skeletal muscle inflammation following repeated bouts of lengthening contractions in humans. Front Physiol 6:424. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00424 CrossRefPubMed

Fujii Y, Ozaki N, Taguchi T et al (2008) TRP channels and ASICs mediate mechanical hyperalgesia in models of inflammatory muscle pain and delayed onset muscle soreness. Pain 140:292–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2008.08.013 CrossRefPubMed

Goodall S, Thomas K, Barwood M et al (2017) Neuromuscular changes and the rapid adaptation following a bout of damaging eccentric exercise. Acta Physiol Oxf Engl 220:486–500. https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.12844 CrossRef

Hilbert J, Sforzo G, Swensen T (2003) The effects of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness. Br J Sports Med 37:72–75. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.37.1.72 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Hosseinzadeh M, Andersen OK, Arendt-Nielsen L, Madeleine P (2013) Pain sensitivity is normalized after a repeated bout of eccentric exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 113:2595–2602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2701-0 CrossRefPubMed

Howell JN, Chila AG, Ford G et al (1985) An electromyographic study of elbow motion during postexercise muscle soreness. J Appl Physiol Bethesda Md 1985 58:1713–1718

Howell JN, Chleboun G, Conatser R (1993) Muscle stiffness, strength loss, swelling and soreness following exercise-induced injury in humans. J Physiol 464:183–196CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Janecki D, Jaskólska A, Marusiak J et al (2014) Twitch mechanical properties after repeated eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab Physiol Appl Nutr Metab 39:74–81. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2013-0097 CrossRef

Jones DA, Newham DJ, Clarkson PM (1987) Skeletal muscle stiffness and pain following eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors. Pain 30:233–242CrossRefPubMed

Kruse NT, Silette CR, Scheuermann BW (2016) Influence of passive stretch on muscle blood flow, oxygenation and central cardiovascular responses in healthy young males. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 310:H1210–H1221. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00732.2015 CrossRefPubMed

Kulig K, Powers CM, Shellock FG, Terk M (2001) The effects of eccentric velocity on activation of elbow flexors: evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging. Med Sci Sports Exerc 33:196–200CrossRefPubMed

Labeit D, Watanabe K, Witt C et al (2003) Calcium-dependent molecular spring elements in the giant protein titin. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:13716–13721. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2235652100 CrossRefPubMed

Lau WY, Blazevich AJ, Newton MJ et al (2015a) Reduced muscle lengthening during eccentric contractions as a mechanism underpinning the repeated-bout effect. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 308:R879–R886. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00338.2014 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Lau WY, Blazevich AJ, Newton MJ et al (2015b) Changes in electrical pain threshold of fascia and muscle after initial and secondary bouts of elbow flexor eccentric exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 115:959–968. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-014-3077-5 CrossRefPubMed

Lau WY, Blazevich AJ, Newton MJ et al (2015c) Assessment of muscle pain induced by elbow-flexor eccentric exercise. J Athl Train 50:1140–1148. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.11.05 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Margaritelis NV, Theodorou AA, Baltzopoulos V et al (2015) Muscle damage and inflammation after eccentric exercise: can the repeated bout effect be removed? Physiol Rep. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.12648 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Miyama M, Nosaka K (2007) Protection against muscle damage following fifty drop jumps conferred by ten drop jumps. J Strength Cond Res 21:1087–1092. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-21056.1 CrossRefPubMed

Mizumura K, Taguchi T (2016) Delayed onset muscle soreness: involvement of neurotrophic factors. J Physiol Sci 66:43–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-015-0397-0 CrossRefPubMed

Murase S, Terazawa E, Queme F et al (2010) Bradykinin and nerve growth factor play pivotal roles in muscular mechanical hyperalgesia after exercise (delayed-onset muscle soreness). J Neurosci 30:3752–3761. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3803-09.2010 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Murase S, Terazawa E, Hirate K et al (2013) Upregulated glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor through cyclooxygenase-2 activation in the muscle is required for mechanical hyperalgesia after exercise in rats. J Physiol 591:3035–3048. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2012.249235 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Newham DJ, Mills KR, Quigley BM, Edwards RH (1983) Pain and fatigue after concentric and eccentric muscle contractions. Clin Sci Lond Engl 1979 64:55–62

Newham DJ, Jones DA, Clarkson PM (1987) Repeated high-force eccentric exercise: effects on muscle pain and damage. J Appl Physiol Bethesda Md 1985 63:1381–1386

Ota H, Katanosaka K, Murase S et al (2013) TRPV1 and TRPV4 play pivotal roles in delayed onset muscle soreness. PLoS One 8:e65751. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065751 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Pearcey GEP, Bradbury-Squires DJ, Kawamoto J-E et al (2015) Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic performance measures. J Athl Train 50:5–13. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.1.01 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Pincheira PA, Hoffman BW, Cresswell AG et al (2018) The repeated bout effect can occur without mechanical and neuromuscular changes after a bout of eccentric exercise. Scand J Med Sci Sports. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13222 CrossRefPubMed

Reisman S, Walsh LD, Proske U (2005) Warm-up stretches reduce sensations of stiffness and soreness after eccentric exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37:929–936PubMed

Rocha CS, Lanferdini FJ, Kolberg C et al (2012) Interferential therapy effect on mechanical pain threshold and isometric torque after delayed onset muscle soreness induction in human hamstrings. J Sports Sci 30:733–742. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.672025 CrossRefPubMed

Skurvydas A, Brazaitis M, Venckūnas T, Kamandulis S (2011) Predictive value of strength loss as an indicator of muscle damage across multiple drop jumps. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab Physiol Appl Nutr Metab 36:353–360. https://doi.org/10.1139/h11-023 CrossRef

Souron R, Nosaka K, Jubeau M (2018) Changes in central and peripheral neuromuscular fatigue indices after concentric versus eccentric contractions of the knee extensors. Eur J Appl Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3816-0 CrossRefPubMed

Stauber WT, Clarkson PM, Fritz VK, Evans WJ (1990) Extracellular matrix disruption and pain after eccentric muscle action. J Appl Physiol Bethesda Md 1985 69:868–874. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1990.69.3.868 CrossRef

Venckunas T, Skurvydas A, Brazaitis M et al (2012) Human alpha-actinin-3 genotype association with exercise-induced muscle damage and the repeated-bout effect. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab Physiol Appl Nutr Metab 37:1038–1046. https://doi.org/10.1139/h2012-087 CrossRef

Whitehead NP, Weerakkody NS, Gregory JE et al (2001) Changes in passive tension of muscle in humans and animals after eccentric exercise. J Physiol 533:593–604CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Yamada R, Himori K, Tatebayashi D et al (2018) Preconditioning contractions prevent the delayed onset of myofibrillar dysfunction after damaging eccentric contractions. J Physiol 596:4427–4442. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP276026 CrossRefPubMed

Title: The relationship between stiffness and pain following unaccustomed eccentric exercise: the effects of gentle stretch and repeated bout
Authors: Pornpimol Muanjai
Mantas Mickevicius
Sigitas Kamandulis
Audrius Snieckus
David A. Jones
Publication date: 01-05-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 5/2019
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04108-7

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The relationship between stiffness and pain following unaccustomed eccentric exercise: the effects of gentle stretch and repeated bout

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2019

Muscle quality as a complementary prognostic tool in conjunction with sarcopenia assessment in younger and older individuals

Effects of the trunk position on muscle stiffness that reflects elongation of the lumbar erector spinae and multifidus muscles: an ultrasonic shear wave elastography study

A proof-of-concept trial of HELIOX with different fractions of helium in a human study modeling upper airway obstruction

The effects of local muscle temperature on force variability

Suitability of jumps as a form of high-intensity interval training: effect of rest duration on oxygen uptake, heart rate and blood lactate

Efficacy of a new strength training design: the 3/7 method