Post-exercise muscle soreness after eccentric exercise: psychophysical effects and implications on mean arterial pressure

The aim of the study was to examine the time course of changes in pressure pain threshold (PPT), visual analogue scale (VAS) pain and tenderness score s, McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) descriptors, pain areas, skin temperatur e and mean arterial pressure (MAP) following intensive eccentric exercise. In 11 healthy male subjects, eccentric exercise of the first dorsal interos seous muscle (FDI) of the right hand with 114% maximum voluntary contractio n weight (MVC) was used to induce post-exercise muscle soreness (PEMS) in t he right hand, while the left hand served as a control. At 24 h to 48 h all the pain profiles indicated the presence of PEMS in the right hand when co mpared to before exercise (P<0.05). MPQ and pain area assessments also indi cated PEMS immediately after the exercise, while the pain assessment by PPT and tenderness VAS showed insignificant pain immediately after the exercis e. Skin temperature measured in the first web space of the hand did not cha nge at any time. MAP was significantly reduced at 48 h. It is concluded tha t eccentric exercise of a small hand muscle is followed by PEMS and a reduc ed MAP after 48 h that may suggest a role of central mechanisms in the PEMS , thereby giving further insight into clinical aspects of muscle pain.