Chau-Chlung, C., Kuo-Wei, T., Yu-Lin, N., An-Hsu, C., Fu-Hsiu, H., & Tung-Wu, L. (2009). The effect of different management for muscle performance on acute stage muscle damage. ACSM 56th Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, Presentation Number 2453.

This study determined the best way to manage muscle damage in the acute stage for short-term performance outcomes and long-term physical recovery outcomes. Ss (N = 36) performed one set of AN eccentric exercise protocol. After the exercise set, Ss were randomly placed into a cryotherapy group (N = 12), electrical therapy group (N = 12), or a control group (N = 12), and accepted treatment protocol with cryotherapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation modality, or resting without management for one hour. When the treatment protocol finished, all Ss performed a second set of the eccentric exercise protocol. Active range of motion, upper arm circumference, serum creatine-kinase, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction were assessed immediately before and after each eccentric exercise bout and days 2, 4, 7, and10.

Short-term performance ability showed significant changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction between the two sets of exercises in the electrical therapy group, but not in the cryotherapy group. The long-term recovery outcomes showed significant changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction on days 2 and 7 in the electrical group, and on day 4 in the control group. In intergroup analysis, maximal voluntary isometric contraction showed a significant difference between the electrical group and the cryotherapy group on days 2, 4, 7 and 10, and the same results between the electrical and control groups.

Implication. Long-term recovery outcomes showed cryotherapy is the most beneficial for muscle damage management between repeated sets, the short-term outcomes showed cryotherapy and resting are beneficial for muscle performance, such as muscle strength and active range of motion. Electrical therapy is not helpful in managing muscle damage between repeated sets exercise.

Return to Table of Contents for this issue.