Abstract
Purpose: We compared high- and low-intensity eccentric cycling (ECC) with the same mechanical work for changes in muscle function and muscle soreness, and examined the changes after subsequent high-intensity ECC.
Methods: Twenty men performed either high-intensity ECC (1 min × 5 at 20% of peak power output: PPO) for two bouts separated by 2 weeks (H–H, n = 11), or low-intensity (4 min × 5 at 5% PPO) for the first and high-intensity ECC for the second bout (L–H, n = 9). Changes in indirect muscle damage markers were compared between groups and bouts.
Results: At 24 h after the first bout, both groups showed similar decreases in maximal isometric (70° knee angle, − 10.6 ± 11.8%) and isokinetic (− 11.0 ± 8.2%) contraction torque of the knee extensors (KE), squat (− 7.7 ± 10.4%) and counter-movement jump (− 5.9 ± 8.4%) heights (p < 0.05). Changes in KE torque and jump height were smaller after the second than the first bout for both the groups (p < 0.05). Increases in plasma creatine kinase activity were small, and no significant changes in vastus lateralis or intermedius thickness nor ultrasound echo-intensity were observed. KE soreness with palpation was greater (p < 0.01) in H–H (peak: 4.2 ± 1.0) than L–H (1.4 ± 0.6) after the first bout, but greater in L–H (3.6 ± 0.9) than H–H (1.5 ± 0.5) after the second bout. This was also found for muscle soreness with squat, KE stretch and gluteal palpation.
Conclusion: The high- and low-intensity ECC with matched mechanical work induced similar decreases in muscle function, but DOMS was greater after high-intensity ECC, which may be due to greater extracellular matrix damage and inflammation.
Keywords
Counter-movement jump, Creatine kinase activity, Delayed-onset muscle soreness, Lengthening muscle action, Maximal voluntary isometric torque, Rate of force development, Squat jump
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
3-13-2020
Publication Title
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
31522
Content Type
Full object
Recommended Citation
Mavropalias, G., Koeda, T., Barley, O. R., Poon, W. C., Fisher, A. J., Blazevich, A. J., & Nosaka, K. (2020). Comparison between high-and low-intensity eccentric cycling of equal mechanical work for muscle damage and the repeated bout effect. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120, 1015-1025.
Comments
This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in European Journal of Applied Physiology.
Mavropalias, G., Koeda, T., Barley, O. R., Poon, W. C., Fisher, A. J., Blazevich, A. J., & Nosaka, K. (2020). Comparison between high-and low-intensity eccentric cycling of equal mechanical work for muscle damage and the repeated bout effect. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120, 1015-1025.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04341-5