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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Continuous low-level heat wrap therapy for the prevention and early phase treatment of delayed-onset muscle soreness of the low back: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of continuous low-level heat wrap therapy for the prevention and early phase treatment (ie, 0-48 h postexercise) of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) of the low back. DESIGN: Two prospective randomized controlled trials. SETTING: Outpatient medical facility. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-seven subjects asymptomatic of back pain and in good general health (mean age, 23.5+/-6.6 y). INTERVENTIONS: Participants performed vigorous eccentric exercise to experimentally induce low back DOMS. Participants were assigned to 1 of 2 substudies (prevention and treatment) and randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups within each substudy: prevention study (heat wrap, n=17; control [nontarget muscle stretch], n=18) and treatment study (heat wrap, n=16; cold pack, n=16). Interventions were administered 4 hours before and 4 hours after exercise in the prevention study and between hours 18 to 42 postexercise in the treatment study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To coincide with the expected occurrence of peak symptoms related to exercise-induced low back DOMS, hour 24 postexercise was considered primary. Pain intensity (prevention) and pain relief (treatment) were primary measures, and self-reported physical function and disability were secondary measures. RESULTS: In the prevention study, at hour 24 postexercise, pain intensity, disability, and deficits in self-reported physical function in subjects with the heat wrap were reduced by 47% (P<.001), 52.3% (P=.029), and 45% (P=.013), respectively, compared with the control group. At hour 24 in the treatment study, postexercise, pain relief with the heat wrap was 138% greater (P=.026) than with the cold pack; there were no differences between the groups in changes in self-reported physical function and disability. CONCLUSIONS: In this small study, continuous low-level heat wrap therapy was of significant benefit in the prevention and early phase treatment of low back DOMS.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Poloxamer 188 failed to prevent exercise-induced membrane breakdown in mdx skeletal muscle fibers.

We sought to determine the effectiveness of poloxamer 188 (P188) in protecting dystrophin-deficient, mdx skeletal muscle fiber membrane against exercise-induced breaches. mdx mice were treated with either P188 or placebo via intraperitoneal injections and run on a treadmill for 60-90 min. Membrane breakdown was quantified in cross-sections of rectus femoris muscle pretreated with Evans blue dye (in vivo). The mean % dye-penetrated muscle in the P188 and placebo groups was not significantly different in each of three trials. These results contrast with a recent report of P188 being highly effective in protecting the stretch- and dobutamine-stressed mdx heart muscle. The most likely explanations for the disparity are: (1) the exercise stress we used was beyond the protective range of P188, (2) P188 delivery and serum concentration were sub-optimal, or (3) the mdx skeletal myopathy and cardiomyopathy have fundamentally different responses to treatment.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Organization of segmental reflexes in trained dancers.

Unilateral and conditioned Achilles tendontap reflex (ATR) characteristics were examined in a group of skilled dancers and a group of sedentary, untrained subjects (n = 7/group). For the conditioned reflex, the right ATR was conditioned by a tap to the left Achilles tendon using intervals of 10, 40, 70, 100, 130, 160 and 190 ms. Peak isometric force, contraction time and half-relaxation time were examined on each trial. The results indicated that the trained dancers exhibited less unilateral isometric force and longer half-relaxation times (p less than 0.05) than the untrained subjects. Moreover, the contralateral conditioning stimulus caused a more marked short-latency facilitation as well as a long-latency inhibition in the reflex force characteristics for the trained dancers when compared with the untrained subjects. These differences in both simple and conditioned reflexes in individuals trained for dance activities may reflect differences in muscle stiffness, tissue compliance or neural organization.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of warmup in muscular injury prevention.

This study is an attempt to provide biomechanical support for the athletic practice of warming up prior to an exercise task to reduce the incidence of injury. Tears in isometrically preconditioned (stimulated before stretching) muscle were compared to tears in control (nonstimulated) muscle by examining four parameters: 1) force and 2) change of length required to tear the muscle, 3) site of failure, and 4) length-tension deformation. The tibialis anterior (TA), the extensor digitorum longus (EDL), and flexor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from both hindlimbs of rabbits comprised our experimental model. Isometrically preconditioned TA (P less than 0.001), EDL (P less than 0.005), and FDL (P less than 0.01) muscles required more force to fail than their contralateral controls. Preconditioned TA (P less than 0.05), EDL (P less than 0.001), and FDL (P less than 0.01) muscles also stretched to a greater length from rest before failing than their nonpreconditioned controls. The site of failure in all of the muscles was the musculotendinous junction; thus, the site of failure was not altered by condition. The length-tension deformation curves for all three muscle types showed that in every case the preconditioned muscles attained a lesser force at each given increase in length before failure, showing a relative increase in elasticity, although only the EDL showed a statistically significant difference. From our data, it may be inferred that physiologic warming (isometric preconditioning) is of benefit in preventing muscular injury by increasing the and length to failure and elasticity of the muscle-tendon unit.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda.

OBJECTIVE: To present a case of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED) tarda in a 14-yr-old boy. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient suffered from chronic bilateral hip pain and range of movement was decreased. Radiographic examination showed findings consistent with skeletal dysplasia tarda. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient was given specific stretching exercises and encouragement to stay active. Physiotherapy was provided to strengthen the hip adductor muscles. CONCLUSION: The presence of short stature, symmetrical hip dysplasia and abnormal vertebral bodies should raise the suspicion of a skeletal dysplasia, specifically spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Meralgia paresthetica after strenuous exercise.

We present three patients with signs and symptoms of meralgia paresthetica (MP) after long-distance walking and cycling. No other possible causes of MP, such as trauma or exogenous compression, were present. A neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve was confirmed in all patients with somatosensory evoked potentials. We propose that conduction block due to local ischemia during repetitive muscle stretching was the probable cause for the neuropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Concentric force enhancement during human movement.

In order to understand the possible mechanisms contributing to enhanced concentric performance in stretch-shortening cycle exercises in vivo the present study examined knee extension torque, electromyogram (EMG) activity and fascicle length of the vastus lateralis muscle in maximal and submaximal human movements. Maximal concentric knee extensions (120 degrees s(-1)) were done after pre-stretch and pre-isometric conditions by nine volunteers. During shortening at the knee angle of 115 degrees (180 degrees = extended) the knee extension torque was found to be greater in pre-stretch condition (272 vs. 248 N m, P < 0.05) although the torque level prior to shortening was smaller than in pre-isometric condition (268 vs. 314 N m, P < 0.05). At the moment of torque enhancement the EMG activity levels or fascicle lengths did not differ between the conditions. It is proposed that besides specific experimental conditions the present enhancement may be related to longer fascicle length prior to shortening (by 4.1 cm, P < 0.05) in pre-stretch condition and to modified length-tension properties. Fascicle length behaviour was found to play an important role also in unilateral, submaximal sledge-jump conditions where pre-loading was altered but the concentric net impulse and joint angular movements were the same. In repeated drop jumps with greater pre-load the changes in fascicle length were smaller than in the counter movement jump that was characterized by a lower force and activity level in the eccentric phase. Results from the present maximal and submaximal loading conditions suggest that the benefits of stretch-shortening cycle muscle function may come through different interactive mechanisms that may be task specific.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The difference in stiffness of the active plantarflexors between young and elderly human females.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the difference in the intrinsic stiffness of the active plantarflexor muscles between young and elderly human females, and to determine changes in this stiffness associated with a 6-week strengthening exercise program. Intrinsic muscle stiffness was determined by measuring the resistance in the first 62 milliseconds offered by the muscle to multiple single stretch trials at 20% to 60% of maximal isometric contraction. Stiffnesses were related to pre-stretch torque (K/PST) by a linear fit. The K/PST relationship of the elderly subjects exhibited a steeper slope, indicating a greater increase in stiffness with an increase in pre-stretch torque. The effect of testing subjects at identical relative, but different absolute pre-stretch torque levels precluded definitive conclusions on possible stiffness differences between the age groups. After the strengthening exercise program, the plantarflexors showed an increase in maximum produced torque, and a decrease in stiffness as well as a decrease in the slope of the K/PST relationship.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Stretch reflex excitability of the anti-gravity ankle extensor muscle in elderly humans.

AIM: To examine whether the stretch reflex excitability of the soleus muscle changes with age, stretch reflexes at rest (REST) and during weak voluntary contractions (ACT) were elicited in 18 older and 14 younger subjects. METHOD: The amplitude of the stretch reflex responses and gain, defined as the gradient of the regression line for the relation between stretch reflex responses against the angular velocity of the applied perturbation, were evaluated in each short-latency (M1) and two long-latency components (M2 and M3). RESULTS: It was found that in the older group, both the amplitude and gain of the M1 component did not change from the REST to the ACT conditions, whereas in the younger group both variables significantly increased from the REST to ACT conditions. The latency of the M1 component was significantly shorter under the REST condition (older vs. younger: 51.8 +/- 7.37 vs. 55.1 +/- 8.69 ms), while no group differences were found in those variables under the ACT condition, suggesting that the muscle-tendon complexes of SOL muscles of the older subjects were less elastic and had less slack, probably due to age-related histochemical alterations. Further, the Hoffman reflex (H-reflex), elicited during the REST condition in 10 older and 11 younger subjects showed no significant differences, suggesting that the soleus motoneuron response to the Ia input was comparable between the two subject groups. CONCLUSION: The histochemical alterations occurring with the ageing process might augment the short-latency stretch reflex in the SOL muscle without enhancement of motoneuronal excitability, and this effect might be masked when the muscle is voluntarily activated.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

P2 antagonist PPADS attenuates responses of thin fiber afferents to static contraction and tendon stretch.

Injection into the arterial supply of skeletal muscle of pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid (PPADS), a P2 receptor antagonist, has been shown previously to attenuate the reflex pressor responses to both static contraction and to tendon stretch. In decerebrated cats, we tested the hypothesis that PPADS attenuated the responses of groups III and IV muscle afferents to static contraction as well as to tendon stretch. We found that injection of PPADS (10 mg/kg) into the popliteal artery attenuated the responses of both group III (n = 16 cats) and group IV afferents (n = 14 cats) to static contraction. Specifically, static contraction before PPADS injection increased the discharge rate of the group III afferents from 0.1 +/- 0.05 to 1.6 +/- 0.5 impulses/s, whereas contraction after PPADS injection increased the discharge of the group III afferents from 0.2 +/- 0.1 to only 1.0 +/- 0.5 impulses/s (P < 0.05). Likewise, static contraction before PPADS injection increased the discharge rate of the group IV afferents from 0.3 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.3 impulses/s, whereas contraction after PPADS injection increased the discharge of the group IV afferents from 0.2 +/- 0.1 to only 0.3 +/- 0.1 impulses/s (P < 0.05). In addition, PPADS significantly attenuated the responses of group III afferents to tendon stretch but had no effect on the responses of group IV afferents. Our findings suggest that both groups III and IV afferents are responsible for evoking the purinergic component of the exercise pressor reflex, whereas only group III afferents are responsible for evoking the purinergic component of the muscle mechanoreflex that is evoked by tendon stretch.

Afferent Pathways↗
PubMed1997

Carbohydrate handling in exercising muscle of obese Zucker rats.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the differential substrate utilization of substrates by exercising muscle and in the fatigued state in lean and obese rats. DESIGN: The rats were treadmill-exercised until fatigued, when their oxygen consumption increased by 1.85 x factor. Blood and hind leg tissue (muscle and skin) were sampled at intervals during exercise and recovery. SUBJECTS: Lean and obese adult Zucker female rats. MEASUREMENTS: Three series of rats were used to determine hind-leg glucose, lactate and oxygen arterio-venous balances, blood flow and muscle levels of glucose, hexose-P, glycogen, lactate and skin lactate. The rates of glycosyl unit flow during exercise and recovery were then calculated. RESULTS: In obese rats, exercising muscle showed higher glucose uptake, increased glycogen mobilization and lower lactate production than in the lean. In the obese rats' muscle, there were more glycosyl units available for oxidative metabolism. Excess glycosyl (or 3C) units were used probably for lipid synthesis. Lean rats managed their glycosyl units more efficiently, stretching the available glycogen, thus prolonging the exercise. During recovery, obese rats massively synthesized glycogen and lowered lactate efflux, which left only a few glycosyl units to oxidative metabolism; probably the rest of oxidative energy was derived from lipids. CONCLUSION: In lean rats glucose is the main source of muscle energy during exercise and recovery, whereas obese rats use glucose during exercise, and probably synthesize lipid during exercise. Obese rats rely more on lipids for energy during recovery.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Muscle activation and force production during bilateral and unilateral concentric and isometric contractions of the knee extensors in men and women at different ages.

In experiment I ten young men (29 +/- 3 yrs; M30), 12 middle-aged men (50 +/- 4 yrs; M50) and 12 women (48 +/- 5 yrs; W50), 12 elderly men (67 +/- 4 yrs; M70) and 12 women (68 +/- 4 yrs; W70) volunteered for subjects for examination of maximal 1 RM strength and electromyographic activity of the knee extensor muscles during the bilateral and unilateral concentric contraction on a variable resistance knee extension dynamometer. In experiment II 10 young (Y) men (29 +/- 5 yrs) and 10 older (O) men (61 +/- 4 yrs) were examined for their maximal voluntary isometric force and force-time curves and electromyographic activity of the knee extensor muscles during the bilateral and unilateral contractions. The bilateral 1 RM of 165.5 +/- 25.5 kg in M30 was greater (p < 0.01) than that of 127.7 +/- 24.5 kg recorded for M50 the latter being also greater (p < 0.05) than that of 109.0 +/- 17.7 kg recorded for M70. The bilateral value of 87.4 +/- 13.4 kg in W50 was greater (p < 0.05) than that of 69.9 +/- 15.0 kg recorded for W70. The bilateral 1 RM values were slightly greater than the summed unilateral 1 RM values in all groups M50, W50 and W70 showing a significant (p < 0.05) difference. All groups showed slightly (ns.) greater mean maximal integrated EMG values during the bilateral conditions in comparison to that of the corresponding unilateral condition. The maximal isometric forces in Y men were 25% greater (p < 0.001) than in O men. In both groups the bilateral forces were somewhat greater (p < 0.05) than the summed unilateral forces and the bilateral IEMG values slightly (ns.) greater than the corresponding unilateral IEMG values. The early forces on the force-time curve were much greater (p < 0.05-0.001) in Y than O men in both conditions. The present findings suggest that both maximal voluntary isometric and concentric force, and especially explosive strength of the knee extensors decrease greatly with increasing age probably due to selective muscle atrophy and/or possible decreases in the amount or rate of voluntary activation of the muscles. However, no bilateral deficit could be found indicating that the central nervous system in a simple single joint isometric and maximal 1 RM concentric force production of the knee extensors was capable of activation of the two bilateral muscle groups simultaneously independent of age and sex of the subject. To which extent the activation and force production of the muscles would be different in terms of the bilateral deficit during various multijoint exercises utilizing isometric and higher velocity concentric, eccentric and various stretch shortening cycle exercise needs to be examined in the future.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Fatigue after submaximal intensive stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine some sites of neuromuscular fatigue after submaximal intensity stretch-shortening cycle exercise. METHODS: Twelve male subjects performed consecutive sledge jumps at 60% of maximal height until exhaustion (mean duration 443.7 s +/- 304.9 s, mean +/- SD). RESULTS: During the exercise, the blood lactate increased from 1.8 +/- 0.6 mmol x L(-1) (before exercise) to 6.1 +/- 1.7 mmol x L(-1) (P < 0.001) and serum creatine-kinase from 248 +/- 142 IU x L(-1) to 584 +/- 344 IU x L(-1) (P < 0.001). Electrical stimulation of the vastus lateralis and quadriceps femoris muscles to induce isometric knee extension resulted in decreased peak torque during single and double twitch after workout (from 22.1 +/- 6.3 Nm to 17.3 +/- 8.0 Nm, P < 0.05, and from 96.6 +/- 15.4 Nm to 76.2 x 19.8 Nm, P < 0.001, respectively), whereas there were no significant changes in contraction and relaxation times. Torque during 20-Hz stimulation decreased significantly (from 23.7 +/- 9.2 to 16.1 +/- 7.8 Nm, P < 0.01) but not at 100-Hz stimulation. During maximal voluntary isometric knee extensions, the rate of torque development was significantly (P < 0.01) more impaired than maximal torque (from 1619 +/- 390 Nm x s(-1) to 1,004 +/- 360 Nm x s(-1) and from 185 +/- 30.7 Nm to 151 +/- 32.3 Nm, respectively, both P < 0.001). At the same time, the muscle activation level increased by 15.8 +/- 24.1% (P < 0.05). The mean EMG amplitude of vastus lateralis during MVC increased by 34.9 +/- 39.2% (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that after submaximal stretch-shortening exercise, the low-frequency fatigue occurred, very likely caused by lower Ca2+ release per single action potential.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1998

Neuromuscular fatigue after maximal stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

To examine some possible sites of fatigue during short-lasting maximally intensive stretch-shortening cycle exercise, drop jumps on an inclined sledge apparatus were analyzed. Twelve healthy volunteers performed jumps until they were unable to maintain jumping height > 90% of their maximum. After the workout, the increases in the blood lactate concentration and serum creatine kinase activation were statistically significant (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) but rather small in physiological terms. The major changes after the workout were as follows: the single twitch was characterized by smaller peak torque (P < 0.05) and shorter time to peak (P < 0.05) and half-relaxation time (P < 0.01). The double-twitch torque remained at the same level (P > 0.05), but with a steeper maximal slope of torque rise (P < 0.05); during 20- and 100-Hz stimulation the torque declined (both P < 0.01) and the maximal voluntary torque changed nonsignificantly but with a smaller maximal slope of torque rise (P < 0.01) and a higher activation level (P < 0.05), accompanied by an increased electromyogram amplitude. These findings indicate that the muscle response after the short-lasting consecutive maximum jumps on the sledge apparatus may involve two distinct mechanisms acting in opposite directions: 1) The contractile mechanism seems to be potentiated through a shorter Ca2+ transient and faster cross-bridge cycling, as implied by twitch changes. 2) High-frequency action potential propagation shows an impairment, which is suggested as the possible dominant reason for fatigue in exercise of this type.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2004

Addition of intensive repetition of facilitation exercise to multidisciplinary rehabilitation promotes motor functional recovery of the hemiplegic lower limb.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the intensive repetition of movements elicited by the facilitation technique to improve voluntary movement of a hemiplegic lower limb in patients with brain damage. DESIGN: A multiple-baseline design (A-B-A-B: A without specific therapy, B with specific therapy) across individuals. PATIENTS: The sample comprised 22 subjects with stroke and 2 brain tumour-operated subjects (age: 50.7 +/- 9.6 years, time after onset: 7.1 +/- 2.6 weeks). They were selected from among 165 patients with stroke who were admitted to our rehabilitation centre from September 1, 1995 to March 31, 1997. METHODS: Two 2-week facilitation technique sessions (more than 100 repetitions a day for each of 5 kinds of movement) were applied at 2-week intervals in patients with hemiplegia, who were being treated with continuous conventional rehabilitation exercise without the facilitation technique for hemiplegia. Motor function of the affected lower limb (Brunnstrom Recovery Stage of hemiplegia, the foot-tap test and the strength of knee extension/flexion) and walking velocity were evaluated at 2-week intervals. RESULTS: Significant improvements in Brunnstrom Stage, foot-tapping and the strength of knee extension/flexion of the affected lower limb were seen after the first conventional rehabilitation exercise session and after the first and second facilitation technique and conventional rehabilitation exercise sessions. The improvements after facilitation technique and conventional rehabilitation exercise sessions were significantly greater than those after the preceding conventional rehabilitation exercise sessions. CONCLUSION: Intensive repetition of movement elicited by the facilitation technique (chiefly proprioceptive neuromuscural facilitation pattern, stretch reflex and skin-muscle reflex) improved voluntary movement of a hemiplegic lower limb in patients with brain damage.

Activities of Daily Living↗