The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of light-emitting diode phototherapy (LEDT) at 630 nm on muscle recovery after a damaging eccentric exercise bout. Seventeen healthy young male volunteers, without previous experience with eccentric exercise, were included in a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. They were divided into a LEDT (n = 8) and a PLACEBO group (n = 9). To induce muscle damage, subjects performed 30 eccentric contractions with a load of 100 % of maximal voluntary isometric contraction strength of the elbow flexors of the non-dominant arm. LEDT group subjects received biceps brachii phototherapy (λ 630 nm; total energy density, 20.4 J/cm2) immediately after the exercise bout. The LEDT in the placebo group was aimed at the muscle, but it remained turned off. Isometric muscle strength, muscle soreness, and elbow range of motion (ROM) were measured before and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h the after eccentric exercise bout and compared between groups. Our results showed that the muscle soreness, muscle strength loss, and ROM impairments were significantly reduced up to 96 h after a damaging eccentric exercise bout for the LEDT group compared with the PLACEBO group. A single LEDT (630 nm) intervention immediately after a damaging eccentric exercise bout was effective in terms of attenuating the muscle soreness and muscle strength loss and ROM impairments.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a compression sleeve worn for a short-time period (12 h) on the recovery from the symptoms of exercise-induced upper arm muscle damage. Methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted on thirteen healthy young men using a standardized and exercise-induced upper arm muscle damage protocol, and they were immediately placed into two groups: TREATED (n = 7) and CONTROL (n = 6). Isometric elbow flexion strength, upper arm circumference, and muscle soreness measurements were taken before and at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the damaging exercise, and were used as criteria of exercise-induced muscle damage. Group comparisons were made for each variable using a two-way ANOVA design (2 groups × 5 measurements), and with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: A significant impairment (P < 0.001) was observed in muscle strength (∼43% and ∼34%, for CONTROL and TREATED groups, respectively, 24 h after exercise), as well as a significant increase (P < 0.001) in upper arm circumference (UAC) and muscle soreness (F 4,55 = 6.49 for UAC and F 4,55 = 6.95 for muscle soreness) among the measurements after exercise for both groups, with no significant differences between them. Conclusions: These results, together with previous findings, suggest that the use of a compression garment for 12 h is not enough to improve the recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in the upper arm, and longer periods of compression may be necessary to achieve positive outcomes. © 2014 Consell Català de l'Esport. Generalitat de Catalunya. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: rafaelpereira@brjb.com.br (R. Pereira). PALABRAS CLAVEDaño muscular; Contracción excéntrica; Manga de compresión; Flexores del codo; Rehabilitación El uso de manga de compresión durante 12 horas no es suficiente para mejorar la recuperación muscular del brazo tras el daño inducido por el ejercicio Resumen Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de la manga de compresión usada durante un período de tiempo corto (12 h) en la recuperación de los síntomas de daño muscular inducido por el ejercicio de los músculos del brazo. Métodos: En un estudio aleatorizado controlado, 13 hombres jóvenes sanos realizaron un protocolo de ejercicio estandarizado para inducir daño muscular para los flexores del codo y se dividieron inmediatamente en 2 grupos: tratados (n = 7) y control (n = 6). Se tomaron medidas de la fuerza isométrica de flexión del codo, la circunferencia del brazo (CB) y la percepción del dolor muscular antes y 24, 48, 72 y 96 h después del ejercicio, y se utilizaron como criterios de daño muscular inducido por el ejercicio. Comparaciones entre grupos se hicieron para cada variable con un ANOVA de 2 vías (2 grupos × 5 medidas) y con un nivel de significación de p < 0,05. Resultados: Se observó una reducción significativa (p < 0,001) de la fuerza muscular (∼43% y ∼34% para el grupo control y tratados, respectivamente, 24 h después del ejercicio) y un aumento significativo (p < 0,00...

Background: The inclusion of gymnastic-based movements in workout routines in many exercise training programs, generally called mixed modality training (MMT), and even in many competitions, is increasingly common. In contrast to artistic gymnastic competitions, MMT workouts aim to complete as many movements as quickly as possible, which tends to deform the movement pattern proposed by artistic gymnastics. Execution of the MMT workouts with more of the gymnastics-based style (i.e., based on the gymnastics movement pattern) could improve performance in exercises with a high-level complexity, such as the "ring muscle up" (RMU). Thus, this study aimed to analyze the kinematic aspects of RMU, performed by a former gymnast both with and without the gymnastics based style. Methods: A former gymnast with a successful transition to MMT, carried out RMU using two movement patterns: 1) close to the classical artistic gymnastics pattern ("Front uprise"), and 2) close to that used by many athletes not from gymnastics. The athlete performed RMU, three times with each proposed movement pattern. Images were captured using a high-speed digital camera. Hip and ankle displacement, velocity and acceleration were recorded and analyzed. Results: The execution of RMU was faster and the hip vertical displacement was greater when RMU was carried out with a gymnastics-based style, while ankle displacement path, peak velocity and acceleration were lower. Conclusion: The use of a gymnastics-based style to carry out RMU seems to be advantageous from the biomechanical point of view, favoring the performance of RMU.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of trunk extensor muscles fatigue, through a submaximum and time-limited isometric task, on the postural control and sensorimotor integration of young healthy adults. Previously and after a submaximum and time-limited isometric fatigue protocol of trunk extension muscles, 30 s stabilometric recordings were taken in both conditions: eyes opened and closed. The center of pressure (CoP) displacement in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions, as well as the total displacement (TD) of CoP were analyzed from the recordings with both conditions (eyes opened and closed) and moments (PRE and POST fatigue protocol). Additionally, the Romberg Index was calculated for CoP displacement in the AP and ML directions, as well as for TD PRE and POST fatigue protocol. Significant differences between the studied parameters of pre-and post-fatigue protocol were not observed. The applied fatigue protocol was not able to modify the postural control, as well as the capacity of integrating sensorial information in the absence of vision, of young healthy subjects. These results indicate that proprioceptive information remains reliable after the used fatigue protocol, allowing subjects to keep a satisfactory straight posture.