Cited by 337Exercise and Physiological ResponsesSports injuries and preventionCardiovascular and exercise physiology

Muscle stiffness, strength loss, swelling and soreness following exercise-induced injury in humans

Open access
Howell, J N, Chleboun, G, Conatser, R·1993·The Journal of Physiology

Abstract

1. In order to study injury-related changes in muscle stiffness, injury to the elbow flexors of thirteen human subjects was induced by a regimen of eccentric exercise. 2. Passive stiffness over an intermediate range of elbow angles was measured with a device which held the relaxed arm of the subject in the horizontal plane and stepped it through the range of elbow angles from 90 deg to near full extension at 180 deg. The relation between static torque and elbow angle was quite linear over the first 50 deg and was taken as stiffness. 3. Stiffness over this range of angles more than doubled immediately after exercise and remained elevated for about 4 days, and may result from low level myofibrillar activation induced by muscle stretch. 4. Arm swelling was biphasic; arm circumference increased by about 3% immediately after exercise, fell back toward normal, then increased by as much as 9% and remained elevated for as long as 9 days. 5. Ultrasound imaging showed most of the swelling immediately following the exercise to be localized to the flexor muscle compartment; subsequent swelling involved other tissue compartments as well. 6. Muscle strength declined by almost 40% after the exercise and recovery was only slight 10 days later; the half-time of recovery appeared to be as long as 5-6 weeks.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1113/jphysiol.1993.sp019629

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31 of 31 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Authors
Howell, J. N., Chleboun, G., & Conatser, R.
Affiliations
Ohio University (US)
Venue
The Journal of Physiology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
1993-05
Volume
464
Issue
1
Pages
183-196
ISSN
  • 0022-3751 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7793
OpenAlex
W1988818325
Cited by
337
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 8
FWCI
4.95
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Physiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports injuries and prevention
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
Keywords
exercise-induced muscle damage, muscle stiffness, elbow flexors, eccentric exercise, muscle swelling, delayed onset muscle soreness, muscle strength decline, passive stiffness, muscle stretching, muscle strength recovery
MeSH terms
Adult, Edema, Elasticity, Physical Exertion, Female, Humans, Male, Muscle Contraction, Muscles, Muscular Diseases, Pain

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