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Int J Sports Med 2016; 37(08): 633-640
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-100281
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Susceptibility to Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: a Cluster Analysis with a Large Sample

F. Damas
1   School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
,
K. Nosaka
2   Biomedical and Health Sciences, School of Exercise, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
,
C. A. Libardi
3   Department of Physical Education, Federal University of São Carlos – UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
,
T. C. Chen
4   Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normail University, Taipei City, Taiwan
,
C. Ugrinowitsch
1   School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History



accepted after revision 21 December 2015

Publication Date:
26 April 2016 (online)

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Abstract

We investigated the responses of indirect markers of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) among a large number of young men (N=286) stratified in clusters based on the largest decrease in maximal voluntary contraction torque (MVC) after an unaccustomed maximal eccentric exercise bout of the elbow flexors. Changes in MVC, muscle soreness (SOR), creatine kinase (CK) activity, range of motion (ROM) and upper-arm circumference (CIR) before and for several days after exercise were compared between 3 clusters established based on MVC decrease (low, moderate, and high responders; LR, MR and HR). Participants were allocated to LR (n=61), MR (n=152) and HR (n=73) clusters, which depicted significantly different cluster centers of 82%, 61% and 42% of baseline MVC, respectively. Once stratified by MVC decrease, all muscle damage markers were significantly different between clusters following the same pattern: small changes for LR, larger changes for MR, and the largest changes for HR. Stratification of individuals based on the magnitude of MVC decrease post-exercise greatly increases the precision in estimating changes in EIMD by proxy markers such as SOR, CK activity, ROM and CIR. This indicates that the most commonly used markers are valid and MVC orchestrates their responses, consolidating the role of MVC as the best EIMD indirect marker.

Key words

isometric contraction - muscle soreness - creatine kinase - range of motion - lengthening contractions - elbow flexors
 

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