King Grub
2011-09-10, 11:35
OBJECTIVE:
Knee joint pain and reduced quadriceps strength are cardinal symptoms in many knee pathologies. In people with painful knee pathologies quadriceps exercise reduce pain, improves physical function and increases muscle strength. A general assumption is that pain compromises muscle function and thus may prevent effective rehabilitation. This study evaluated the effects of experimental knee joint pain during quadriceps strength training on muscle strength gain in healthy individuals.
METHODS:
Twenty-seven healthy, untrained volunteers participated in a randomized controlled trial of quadriceps strengthening (8 weeks/3 times per week). Participants were randomized to perform the resistance training either during pain induced by injections of painful hypertonic saline (pain group, N=13) or during a non-painful control condition with injection of isotonic saline (control group, N=14) into the infra-patellar fat pad. The primary outcome measure was change in maximal isokinetic muscle strength in knee extension/flexion (60, 120 and 180 deg/s.).
RESULTS:
The group who exercised with pain had a significantly larger improvement in isokinetic muscle strength at all angular velocities of knee extension compared to the control group. In knee flexion there were improvements in isokinetic muscle strength in both groups with no between group differences.
CONCLUSION:
Experimental knee joint pain improved the training-induced gain in muscle strength following 8-weeks of quadriceps training. It remains to be studied, whether knee joint pain has a positive effect on strengthgain in patients with knee pathology.
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011 Sep 8. Experimental knee joint pain during strength training increases muscle strength gain in healthy subjects: A randomised controlled trial.
Knee joint pain and reduced quadriceps strength are cardinal symptoms in many knee pathologies. In people with painful knee pathologies quadriceps exercise reduce pain, improves physical function and increases muscle strength. A general assumption is that pain compromises muscle function and thus may prevent effective rehabilitation. This study evaluated the effects of experimental knee joint pain during quadriceps strength training on muscle strength gain in healthy individuals.
METHODS:
Twenty-seven healthy, untrained volunteers participated in a randomized controlled trial of quadriceps strengthening (8 weeks/3 times per week). Participants were randomized to perform the resistance training either during pain induced by injections of painful hypertonic saline (pain group, N=13) or during a non-painful control condition with injection of isotonic saline (control group, N=14) into the infra-patellar fat pad. The primary outcome measure was change in maximal isokinetic muscle strength in knee extension/flexion (60, 120 and 180 deg/s.).
RESULTS:
The group who exercised with pain had a significantly larger improvement in isokinetic muscle strength at all angular velocities of knee extension compared to the control group. In knee flexion there were improvements in isokinetic muscle strength in both groups with no between group differences.
CONCLUSION:
Experimental knee joint pain improved the training-induced gain in muscle strength following 8-weeks of quadriceps training. It remains to be studied, whether knee joint pain has a positive effect on strengthgain in patients with knee pathology.
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011 Sep 8. Experimental knee joint pain during strength training increases muscle strength gain in healthy subjects: A randomised controlled trial.