Effects of cool resistance exercise on oxygen metabolism in muscle tissue and clinical application

Abstract

Resistance training is beneficial for elite athletes and the elderly, alike. It plays a key role in healthy ageing, helping retain muscle mass, and it can also help reduce the chances of chronic diseases such as osteoporosis and high blood pressure. In order for resistance exercise to be effective, there is an ongoing need for proven techniques that can assist with their resistance training. Professor Masahiro Goto, Director of the Department of Physical Therapy, Aino University, Japan, works to understand the physiological dynamics at play during resistance exercise with a view to developing novel exercise methods and using new technologies to improve resistance exercise outcomes. A brief intramuscular hypoxic state is key to promoting muscle growth and this has therefore been a target for improving resistance techniques, but a challenge arises in terms of monitoring hypoxia. That is why Goto is looking to establish a method that can accurately, quickly and cheaply test the intramuscular oxygenation state during resistance exercise. Recognising the potential of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), he performed a study on volunteers who have resistance exercise carrier more than one year over eight weeks to find out whether NIRS can be used as an effective measure of internal muscular oxygenation levels and if cold pack treatment of muscles prior to exercise results in better muscle mass gain. He used electromyograms to measure muscle contraction, ultrasound to monitor changes in muscle mass and arterial oxygen saturation measurements to elucidate oxygenation levels. He found that NIRS was effective for routine monitoring of oxygen levels and that cold pack treatment during resistance exercise causes higher muscle activity and creates a more hypoxic muscular environment than without any cold treatment.