Effect of transcutaneous electromyostimulation on pressure pain threshold and tolerance in athletes under eccentric exercise

Abstract

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia typically reported during and / or following exercise. In this study, we investigated the role of transcutaneous electromyostimulation (EMS) on pressure pain threshold and tolerance in athletes under eccentric exercise. Eleven male athletes aged 23,125 ± 0,99 years with 10,25 ± 2,66 years of athletic training were recruited for this study. Following baseline measurements of pressure pain threshold and tolerance from m. biceps brachii and m. triceps brachii muscle and myofascial regions of the dominant upper extremity by using a digital algometer, subjects were underwent an acute bout of eccentric exercise. Participants were completed 4 sets of eccentric exercise each comprising 20 repetitions of lifting 80% of their 1 RM by using a dumbbell. Pressure pain threshold and tolerance tests were repeated 10, 20 and 30 minutes, and 24 and 48 hours following exercise. One week after acute exercise protocol, EMS protocol was applied to the participants immediately following eccentric exercise, and all measurements were repeated at the same timeline as eccentric exercise. Standard EMS protocol at active recovery mode for 10 minutes was applied to the m. biceps brachii muscle by using surface electrodes. Results are presented as mean + standarts deviation. Data of the same timeline were analyzed by using repeated measures of ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. A level of p<0.05 was accepted statistical significant. Eccentric exercise resulted to increase the pain tolerence in athletes, and EMS was found to decrease the pain tolerence 10 and 20 minutes at the muscle region, and 10 and 30 minutes, and 24 hours at the myofascial region of m. biceps brachii, 10 min and 24 hr from muscle region, 10 and 30 min and 24 hr from myofascial region of M. triceps brachii following acute bout of eccentric exercise. We concluded that EMS at active recovery phase mitigates the the hypoalgesic response following single bout of eccentric exercise.

Keywords

• eccentric exercise, exercise-induced hypoalgesia, electromyostimulation, pain tolerance

References

1. Akil H, Richardson DE, Barchas JD, Li CH (1978). Appearance of β-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in human ventricular cerebrospinal fluid upon analgesic electrical stimulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 75(10): 5170-5172.
2. Ambriz-Tututi M, Rocha-González HI, Cruz SL, Granados-Soto V (2000). Melatonin: a hormone that modulates pain. Life Sciences, 10: 489-98.
3. Appell, HJ (1997). Der Muskel in der Rehabilitation. Orthopӓdie, 26: 930–934, 1997.
4. Armstrong RB (1984). Mechanisms of exercise-induced delayed onset muscular soreness: a brief review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 16: 529–538.
5. Baldari C, Videira M, Madeira F, Sergio J, Guidetti L (2005). Blood lactate removal during recovery at various intensities below the individual anaerobic threshold in triathletes. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 45(4):460.466.
6. Bax L, Staes F, Verhagen A (2005). Does neuromuscular electrical stimulation strengthen the quadriceps femoris? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Sports Medicine, 35: 191–212.
7. Binder-Macleod, SA and Guerin T (1990). Preservation of force output through progressive reduction of stimulation frequency in human quadriceps femoris muscle. Physical Therapy, 70: 619–625, 1990.
8. Bossert, F-P, Jenrich, W, and Vogedes, K (2006). Leitfaden Elektrotherapie. München, Germany: Elsevier, Urban & Fischer.

9. Chapman CR (1977). Effects of intrasymental electrical acupuncture on central pain. Pain 3: 213.
10. Cheung K, Hume PA, Maxwell L (2003). Delayed onset muscle soreness: Treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Medicine, 33(2):145.164.
11. Cometti G (1988). Les me´thodes Modernes de Musculation. Tome II: Donne´es Pratiques. Dijon, France: Universite de Bourgogne.
12. Eriksson E, Haggmark T (1979). Comparison of isometric muscle training and electrical stimulation supplementing isometric muscle training in the recovery after major knee ligament surgery. A preliminary report. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 7: 169–171.
13. Eriksson MBE, Sjölund BH, Nielzén S (1979). Long term results of peripheral conditioning stimulation as an analgesic measure in chronic pain. Pain, 6(3):335–347.
14. Franchini E, de Moraes Bertuzzi RC, Takito MY, Kiss MAPDM (2009). Effects of recovery type after a judo match on blood lactate and performance in specific and non specific judo tasks. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(4):377.383.
15. Gibson JN, Smith K, Rennie MJ (1988). Prevention of disuse muscle atrophy by means of electrical stimulation: maintenance of protein synthesis. Lancet, 2: 767–770.
16. Gramly, Amanda J; Rhodes, Kitrick C.; and Smith, Andrea F. (2012). "Active Recovery and Electro-Muscular Stimulation on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after Endurance Running: A Randomized Clinical Trial" UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 1322.
17. Graven-Nielsen T & Arendt-Nielsen L (2003). Induction and assessment of muscle pain, referred pain, and muscular hyperalgesia. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 7: 443–451.
18. Holmgren, E (1975). Increase of pain threshold as a function of conditioning electrical stimulation; an experimental study with application to electroacupuncture for pain. The American Journal Of Chinese Medicine, 3: 133.
19. Kilic M, Ulusoy O, Cırrık S, Hindistan IE, Ozkaya YG (2014). Effect of exercise intensity on cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 concentration during recovery from exhaustive exercise in rats. Acta Physiologica Hungarica, 101: 21-31.
20. Koltyn K. 2000. Analgesia following exercise. Sports Medicine. 29: 85-98.
21. Kramer J, Lindsay D, Magee D, Mendryk S and Wall T (1984). Comparison of voluntary and electrical stimulation contraction torques. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 5: 234–331, 1984.
22. Lattier G, Millet GY, Martin A, Martin V (2004). Fatigue and recovery after high-intensity exercise. Part II: Recovery interventions.International Journal of Sports Medicine, 25(7): 509-15.
23. Maffiuletti NA (2006). The use of electrostimulation exercise in competitive sport. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 1: 406–407.
24. Maffiuletti NA, Bramanti J, Jubeau M, Bizzini M, Deley G, Cometti G (2009). Feasibility and efficacy of progressive electrostimulation strength training for competitive tennis players. Journal of Strength and Condition Research, 23(2):677-682.
25. Neric FB, Beam WC, Brown LE, Wiersma LD (2009). Comparison of swim recovery and muscle stimulation on lactate removal after sprint swimming. Journal of Strength and Condition Research, 23(9): 2560-2567.
26. Newham DJ, McPhail G, Mills KR & Edwards RH (1983). Ultrastructural changes after concentric and eccentric contractions of human muscle. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 61: 109–122.
27. Ozdemir O, Ozdem S, Ozkaya YG (2013). Melatonin administration does not alter muscle glycogen concentration during recovery from exhaustive exercise in rats. European Journal of Sport Science, 13: 174-182.
28. Ozkaya MS, Aksoy-Gundogdu A, Seyran M, Hindistan IE, Pamuk O, Ozkaya YG (2014). Effect of exogenous melatonin administration on pain threshold in exercise trained rats under light-induced functional pinealectomy. Biological Rhythm Research DOI:10.1080/09291016.2014.923619.
29. Rashidi M, Pour A, Ghorbani R (2010). Effect of passive and active recovery from supramaximal exercise on blood lactate levels in male athletes. Koomesh, 11(3):209.215.
30. Rigaux P (1996). Augmentation du débit artériel fémoral sous électrostimulation neuromusculaire de la jambe. Kinésithérapie Scientifique, 357: 7-13.
31. Salar G, Job I, Mingrino S, Bosio A, Trabucchi M (1981). Effect of transcutaneous electrotherapy on CSF β-endorphin content in patients without pain problems.Pain. 10(2): 169–172.
32. Tesarz J, Schuster AK, Hartmann M, Gerhardt A, Eich W (2012). Pain perception in athletes compared to normally active controls: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Pain, 153:1253–1262.
33. Tessitore A, Meeusen R, Cortis C, Capranica L (2007). Effects of different recovery interventions on anaerobic performances following preseason soccer training. Journal of Strength and Condition Research, 21(3):745.750.
34. Warren CD, Brown LE, Landers MR, Stahura KA (2011). Effect of three different between inning recovery methods on baseball pitching performance. Journal of Strength and Condition Research,25(3):683.688.