Fast-Velocity Eccentric Cycling Exercise Causes Greater Muscle Damage Than Slow Eccentric Cycling

Abstract

This study aims to investigate muscle damage occurring in the early and recovery phases after fast-velocity and slow-velocity eccentric cycling. Eleven untrained men (age, 20.0 ± 1.7 years; height, 171.3 ± 6.8 cm; weight, 61.8 ± 7.7 kg; and %body fat, 13.2 ± 2.9%) performed slow-velocity maximal isokinetic eccentric cycling (slow-velocity; 30°/s) with one leg and fast-velocity (fast-velocity; 210°/s) isokinetic eccentric cycling with the other leg. Changes in maximal voluntary isokinetic concentric contraction (MVCC) torque at velocities of 30 and 210°/s, range of motion (ROM), and muscle soreness were assessed by pressure using a digital muscle stiffness instrument; thigh circumference, muscle echo intensity, and muscle stiffness were assessed before exercise, and immediately after exercise, 1 day, and 4 days after exercise. Comparing with the results obtained for slow-velocity cycling (post: 215.9 ± 32.3 Nm, day 1: 192.9 ± 47.4 Nm, day 4: 184.3 ± 47.2 Nm) and before exercise, MVCC after fast-velocity cycling significantly decreased at immediately (160.4 ± 43.5 Nm), 1 day (143.6 ± 54.1 Nm), and 4 days (150.1 ± 44.5 Nm) after exercise (p < 0.05). Significant increase in muscle soreness for vastus lateralis was observed after fast-velocity cycling (41.2 ± 16.9 mm) compared with slow-velocity cycling (23.7 ± 12.2 mm) 4 days after exercise (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference in muscle soreness was observed for rectus femoris and vastus medialis at any time points after exercise. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the ROM, thigh circumference, muscle echo intensity, and muscle stiffness. In conclusion, fast-velocity eccentric cycling causes a decrease in muscle strength and an increase in soreness as compared to slow-velocity eccentric cycling.

Pedal cadence does not affect muscle damage to eccentric cycling performed at similar mechanical work

“…As acute response to ECCs cycling, we investigated the effects of different velocities on muscle damage in one bout of ECCs cycling (Ueda et al, 2020). Our results showed that muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness were significantly greater in the fast (210 °/sec) than in the slow (30 °/sec) condition (Ueda et al, 2020). Therefore, similar to the above findings in elbow flexors, we concluded that the fast ECCs exercise causes greater muscle damage than the slow.…”

“…(Clarkson et al, 1992;Morgan and Allen, 1999;Chen et al, 2007;Ochi et al, 2016;Tsuchiya et al, 2019). The degree of muscle damage is caused by ECCs depends on the exercise duration, length, intensity (Nosaka and Sakamoto, 2001;Nosaka and Newton, 2002), repetitions (Hesselink et al, 1996;Chen and Nosaka, 2006) and velocity (Chapman et al, 2006;Chapman et al, 2008a;Ueda et al, 2020).…”

“…Therefore, it has been reported to be an effective exercise for the elderly, obese and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Lastayo et al, 1999;LaStayo et al, 2000;Gonzalez-Bartholin et al, 2019;Julian et al, 2019;Nickel et al, 2020). As acute response to ECCs cycling, we investigated the effects of different velocities on muscle damage in one bout of ECCs cycling (Ueda et al, 2020). Our results showed that muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness were significantly greater in the fast (210 °/sec) than in the slow (30 °/sec) condition (Ueda et al, 2020).…”

Reliability of a Protocol to Elicit Peak Measures Generated by the Lower Limb for Semi-recumbent Eccentric Cycling

“…This would suggest that the PETP produces comparable outcomes to a traditional isokinetic ECC strength test of the knee extensors in an experimental setup that is adapted to the actual semi-recumbent ECC cycling position. However, it is important to note that differences in ECC cycling movement velocity impacts force production and muscle damage (Ueda et al, 2020 ). In their study, participants performed 5 min of ECC cycling at fast (210°·s −1 ) and slow (30°·s −1 ) velocities, with fast-velocity ECC cycling significantly impairing muscle strength and increasing muscle soreness compared to slow-velocity ECC cycling.…”

Using Shear-Wave Elastography to Assess Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Review

“…The effect of exercise velocity on shear modulus has rarely been examined, despite the evidence that high-velocity eccentric exercise causes significantly larger reductions in MVC than slow-velocity exercise [ 51 ]. Ueda et al [ 52 ] compared the effects of slow and fast velocity eccentric cycling, and while the latter elicited larger decreases in MVC torque, only trends for larger increase in quadriceps shear modulus immediately post-exercise were noted. Further studies are needed to reveal the effects of eccentric exercise velocity on shear modulus of different muscles.…”