The Role of Passive Muscle Stiffness in Symptoms of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Abstract

We examined whether passive stiffness of an eccentrically exercising muscle group affects the subsequent symptoms of muscle damage. Passive hamstring muscle stiffness was measured during an instrumented straight-leg-raise stretch in 20 subjects (11 men and 9 women) who were subsequently classified as "stiff" (N = 7), "normal" (N = 6), or "compliant" (N = 7). Passive stiffness was 78% higher in the stiff subjects (36.2 +/- 3.3 N.m.rad(-1)) compared with the compliant subjects (20.3 +/- 1.8 N.m.rad(-1)). Subjects then performed six sets of 10 isokinetic (2.6 rad.s(-1)) submaximal (60% maximal voluntary contraction) eccentric actions of the hamstring muscle group. Symptoms of muscle damage were documented by changes in isometric hamstring muscle strength, pain, muscle tenderness, and creatine kinase activity on the following 3 days. Strength loss, pain, muscle tenderness, and creatine kinase activity were significantly greater in the stiff compared with the compliant subjects on the days after eccentric exercise. Greater symptoms of muscle damage in subjects with stiffer hamstring muscles are consistent with the sarcomere strain theory of muscle damage. The present study provides experimental evidence of an association between flexibility and muscle injury. Muscle stiffness and its clinical correlate, static flexibility, are risk factors for more severe symptoms of muscle damage after eccentric exercise.

Chronic Refractory Myofascial Pain: Characteristics of Patients who Self-select Long-term Management with Electrical Twitch-Obtaining Intramuscular Stimulation

“…When muscles such as hamstrings are stiff and subjected to eccentric exercise, strength loss, pain, muscle tenderness, and increased creatine kinase activity occurs. This is consistent with the sarcomere strain theory of muscle damage showing experimental evidence of association between flexibility and tendency to muscle injury [20]. These studies have shed light on the effects and limitations of mechanical stretching, confined to stretchable muscles, which usually are superficial.…”

Effects of Strenuous Exercise with Eccentric Muscle Contraction: Physiological and Functional Aspects of Human Skeletal Muscle

“…Numerous studies have observed similar peak times of DOMS. [5][6][7][8] Muscle soreness likely results from myoˆbrillar damage, in‰ammatory substances sensitizing nociceptors present in damaged muscle, 19 and/or stimulation of muscle mechanoreceptors. 20 The signiˆcant increase in the ADC value of the MG at 3 days after exercise re‰ects increased motion of intramuscular water molecules.…”

“…1,2 Therefore, after eccentric exercise, in‰ammatory response and muscle dysfunction frequently occur with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). [5][6][7][8] Several studies have used magnetic resonance (MR) T 2 -weighted (T 2 W) images to evaluate muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise. 6,9,10 One damage-based pathophysiological change revealed by T 2 W imaging is delayed muscle edema, which frequently occurs a few days following eccentric exercise.…”

Efeitos de um tratamento combinado (vitamina C pré-exercício e alongamento FNP, tratamento com ultrassom pós-exercício) sobre marcadores de dano muscular induzido por exercício

“…Eccentric exercises are part of regular rehabilitation as well as sports training. Unusual eccentric exercises cause muscle damage, which appears as muscle pain 2 , loss of isometric and dynamic strength 3,4 ,loss of range of motion 4 , swelling 3 , increase in muscle-specific proteins in the blood (CK, LDH) 3 and increased passive stiffness 5 . Muscle injury means mechanical rupture of the sarcomeres and pain is a result of the inflammatory response of the synthesis of prostaglandin and leucotriene 6 .…”